


Nowhere to Run

by EnglishPoet18



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2015-01-08
Packaged: 2018-03-06 17:38:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 38,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3142952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnglishPoet18/pseuds/EnglishPoet18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl and Merle are two bounty hunters just trying to make a living in a small town...Daryl's looking for better opportunities when a new bounty catches his eye. Carol? The same Carol he had spent one hot night with ten years ago? That might be interesting... I own nothing from The Walking Dead. AU CARYL FIC</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

...

"Anything new come in?" Daryl asked Merle as he strode into the little trailer that served as their office.

Merle leaned back in the rusty desk chair that threatened to fall apart any day now and gestured to a piece of paper lying on the center of the desk. Merle placed his hands behind his head and laced his fingers together as he waited for Daryl to read the paper.

Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Daryl picked up the piece of paper and scanned it, moving his lips softly as he silently read. At first he didn't see anything to be concerned about and he chalked it up to his brother being ridiculous as usual. Apparently some small town chick had a warrant on her for skipping her court date, big fucking deal. He scanned the details and the reward offered then tossed the paper back down on the desk.

Merle's eyes followed him as he headed over to the ancient coffeemaker that resided on a rickety wooden table in the corner of the room. The coffeemaker was probably one of the first ever made, but it still worked so neither of them had attempted to replace it. Appliances weren't at the top of their priority list.

Daryl fixed his coffee in silence, knowing that Merle was waiting on him to ask about the new bounty. He refused to give in though and frowned when he couldn't locate a spoon so he stuck his finger inside of the cup and swirled it around to stir the hot liquid. Hissing at the burn, he pulled out his finger and sucked on it, the skin throbbing with pain. He briefly thought about trying to find that burn cream they used, but then shrugged and decided he didn't feel like that headache this morning. He turned and faced Merle, taking a seat in the worn-out leather chair next to the desk as he sipped at his coffee. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Merle frown and Daryl fought back a grin. _How many times had they played this game of silence and Daryl won?_ Too many to count.

Finally Merle let out a resigned sigh, "Bastard," he muttered and Daryl grinned. "Gonna ask me about that paper?"

"What about it?"

Merle made a big show of rolling his eyes, "Didn't ya read it?"

Daryl frowned. Of course he had read it. He snatched the paper up again and scanned it, looking for some clue that he might have missed. "Five hundred dollar bounty...bail jumper...What's so special about it?"

"Carol Walsh. Remember her?"

Daryl scrunched up his face as he thought about it. The name was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it in his head. He probably saw thousands of names a year working with his brother doing this shitty job. A name was just a name and none that he had seen had seemed of any particular importance to him.

"Doesn't ring a bell," Daryl replied.

Merle dug around on his desk, cursing under his breath as he moved stacks of papers around. That desk irritated Daryl and once he had even tried to straighten it up. Then Merle had come in the next day and almost had a heart attack when he couldn't find anything. He claimed that the desk was like that for a reason and that he knew where anything they needed was at any given time, but if Daryl moved it then he couldn't find things for shit. It was the first and last time that Daryl had tried to clean up. He left all of that shit to Merle now, just doing bounties every once in a while for extra cash.

Daryl was looking to get out of the bounty hunting business and do something different with his life. There wasn't loads of money to be had in that career and sometimes they went a week or more before getting new information. Merle seemed to be okay with it and his brother had always thrived on asserting his authority, but Daryl was just biding his time until something better came along.

With a murmur of discovery, Merle located the paper he was looking for and passed it over to Daryl. It was a photograph of a young woman, possibly in her thirties with short brown hair and startling blue eyes that instantly kicked him in the gut. He would know her anywhere. He would never forget the face that haunted his dreams so frequently at night. Lifting his eyes to Merle, he finally understood.

"Carol Hancock," Daryl muttered. "Didn't recognize it because her last name's different. She must have married." He felt a lump form in his throat, but he fought it back. After all, just because they had spent one incredible night together ten years ago didn't mean she was still available.

"Cool yer jets brother. She's divorced, already looked it up," Merle said.

So she had already been married _and_ divorced? It appeared that she had certainly been busy. Thinking about her again brought back so many memories of that night they had been together. Daryl had gone out with Merle to a bar to have a few drinks and she had been there with a couple of women, laughing and joking in one of the booths lining the wall. Her laughter had claimed his attention and he had caught her eye, her striking baby blues nearly knocking him to the floor.

They played the staring game for most of the night until she finally left the booth to head to the bar for more drinks. Summoning up his courage, he had approached her and they had talked a bit. He had found out that she had just turned twenty-one, two years younger than him and she was out with her friends celebrating her birthday. He had wished her happy birthday, bought her a drink, and she had thanked him before escaping back to her table where her friends had been waiting.

As the night ticked on, Daryl grew bolder the more he drank and his eyes drifted to her more often. He had been able to tell by the color staining her cheeks that she was well on her way to being drunk. Her friends had left her in the booth to go dance and once she was alone he had gone over to her table. One minute they had been talking and the next she had her tongue shoved down his throat. _God, he still remembered the way that she had kissed him._ Her lips had been so soft at first and then so hot and demanding when he hadn't pulled away. He vaguely remembered his brother coming by to steal the keys to his bike, but that hadn't stopped them from getting a taxi. As it turned out, Carol and her friends had rented a hotel room for the night and that's where they had gone. Soft kisses and roaming hands, they hadn't lasted long, but then again he didn't think any length of time with her would have been long enough. Even to this day he still thought about her and the chemistry they had shared. The next morning when he had awakened she had been gone without even a word or a kiss goodbye. That had stung something awful and he remembered having to call Merle to come and pick him up.

Rising to his feet, he grabbed the sheet with her information, folded it and stuck it in his pocket. "Where ya goin'?" Merle asked.

Daryl paused with his hand on the door, "You know where. I'll be back."

As the door shut behind him he could hear Merle's chuckle, but he ignored it as he strode to his bike. Normally he took the truck for bounties, but this was a special case and Carol was a special woman. Besides, he might have been selfishly thinking about her taut little body pressed tightly up against his own. Muttering under his breath when his body began to respond to those images he fired up the bike, revving the engine to the beat of his own heart.

...

Carol stepped out of the shower and wiped at the steam covered bathroom mirror to peer at her reflection. She always felt much better after a shower, almost like getting a clean slate to start everything anew. _If only life really worked that way_ , she thought.

Married and divorced at thirty-one and hardly anything to show for it. She had a small apartment, a car that teetered on it's last leg, and as of today - no job. Which wasn't her fault. She knew when she started the job as a receptionist at the law firm in town that it was only a temporary position. She had just kind of hoped that if she did a good job then they might keep her around, but it hadn't happened like that. Times were tough and the economy was even tougher. Today she planned to hopefully remedy the situation which is why she had gotten up extra early just so that she could go job hunting.

She just couldn't seem to get herself very motivated for some reason. Part of it had to do with the headache of constantly having to deal with Shane in some way or another. He was still hung up on her even though they had been divorced for two years now. She might have been done okay had he not been so controlling over everything. He had serious issues with jealousy and control, but the worst part was that he denied having any kind of problem. But at least she was done with him. Or so she had thought.

Shane didn't see things the same way that she did. Often times she caught him following her when she was driving somewhere or she would see him drive past her house when she stepped outside. It irritated her that there wasn't anything she could do about it. Shane was a cop and a respected member of the police force. He knew too many people, had too many ways to get out of things, but most people didn't know him like she did.

She couldn't shake the feeling that he was somehow behind a lot of her bad luck lately...or maybe she was just being paranoid. As much as he creeped her out by always hanging around he hadn't ever hurt her at least. The word around town was that he was trying to win her back, but she knew that wasn't ever going to happen. She was an independent woman now and she didn't need a man in her life. They only complicated matters...she was better off on her own.

She finished drying her short locks and applied a light layer of makeup before heading to the kitchen to fix herself a cup of coffee. It was quiet in the apartment, but she had gotten used to it and the silence didn't bother her anymore. She sipped her hot coffee and thought about where she would start putting in applications to. There had to be someone hiring she just had to be patient and surely good things would happen.

The knock on her door startled her and she almost spilled her coffee on her white blouse. Muttering under her breath at the interruption, she made her way to the door. She rarely had visitors and for a panicked moment she began to think that Shane had gotten bolder. But when she opened the door and saw the man standing on the other side, one hand resting upwards on the door frame, she forgot all about Shane Walsh.

And one look at the man standing in front of her and the memories came rushing back full force.

As her eyes traveled the length of him from his black tee, washed-out jeans, steel-toe boots, and up to those piercing blue eyes she recalled _every_ inch of him in full detail. Automatically she could feel her body begin to respond to just the sight of him. No way would she forget the way those hands and that _mouth_ had made her feel. Her own mouth went dry just thinking about it. Then she remembered that he also had never called her back after that night and the heat within her faded just a tiny bit.

"C-Can I help you?" She asked.

Smoldering eyes regarded her from beneath thick lashes and he crossed his arms lazily, "Oh I'm pretty sure you can Carol."

His voice was gravelly, but just as smooth as she remembered...the things he had whispered to her that night...she shivered. "Oh?"

He nodded, "You seem to have skipped out on your court date and I'm here to collect."

Carol frowned, wondering if this was some kind of joke. She didn't have a court date...did she? She remembered getting a ticket for speeding, the first in her life, but she had thought she had gotten it taken care of.

_Shane._

"I don't understand," she said.

"What's there to understand? You're a wanted woman an' I'm here to take ya in."

...


	2. Chapter 2

...

"I think there's been a misunderstanding," Carol said softly. She peered around him outside of her apartment to make sure that her neighbor wasn't outside. Living in a duplex afforded her more privacy than a huge apartment building, but her neighbor could still be rather nosy when she had a mind to be. Satisfied that her neighbor either wasn't home or wasn't aware of her company, Carol grabbed Daryl's hand and tugged him inside. "Let's take this inside please," she murmured.

He resisted at first, but then he relaxed some and let her guide him into the apartment. She was hyper aware of just how badly she was still attracted to him when his body brushed past hers and every nerve ending in her body seemed to come alive at the contact. She was quick to drop his hand once he was inside although she hadn't wanted to. His hands had been large and very... _capable_. She turned away for a moment to gather her thoughts, reminding herself that the man in front of her hadn't called her back. He hadn't wanted her.

"I ain't here to discuss misunderstandings. Just here to do my job," Daryl said.

She sucked in a breath and glared up at him, "Are you really that heartless? I told you that I'm innocent. The cop that pulled me over told me he would take care of the ticket and that I had nothing to worry about." The more she thought about it now though, the more she began to realize that she had been played. Obviously the cop had been one of Shane's friends and hadn't torn up the ticket like she had thought. Now she had missed a court date and owed money that she hadn't even known about. Could this day get any worse?

Daryl felt guilt hit him like a rock in the pit of his stomach, but he fought back displaying any of those feelings to her. Women tried to pull the innocent act on him all the time. He knew that this was Carol and that their was a history between the two of them. It hurt him, but he wasn't sure what to do other than his job. After all, _she_ had been the one to leave him high and dry all those years ago, not him.

"Listen, I'm sure that maybe you thought ya got it taken care of, but obviously ya didn't or I wouldn't be here..." He stepped closer to her, still drawn to her despite everything. "I'm going to have to take you in and I'd really rather do it without a fight."

He was so close that she could smell him and just his scent was doing sinful things to her body. She was hurting, in more ways than one. Why couldn't he see that? "Why didn't you call me?" She raised her head to meet his eyes, accusation stinging her voice.

He blinked in surprise, but quickly recovered himself. So this was how she was going to play it? He was just supposed to call her after she up and left _him_? How was he supposed to call someone who he had no number for? All he had had at the time was her name and he hadn't even known where she lived or if she was even from the same town. "You left me hangin' in some hotel room, Carol. Why would I call?" He kept his voice low and indifferent.

Carol was confused. Maybe she had done things all wrong. When her friends had woke her up the next morning he had been sleeping like the dead. She had shaken him once, but he had merely mumbled in his sleep and rolled over. Not wanting to disturb him, she had decided to leave him a short note instead, placing it in his wallet so that he was certain to get it.

She hadn't wanted to leave, but she hadn't had a choice. She had ridden in with her friends and it was time to go. She wasn't even the type of girl to do one night stands, but Daryl had felt different than any other guy she had ever met. She had been sure that he would call her...so sure, except he hadn't. The worst part had been the wait afterwards. She had waited for him for a month before finally giving up. It just wasn't meant to be...But she had thought that maybe it was. How foolish she had been. Then she had met Shane later and made the biggest mistake of her life by marrying him. He had been nothing like Daryl and the only time she had been able to get off in bed was to imagine that Daryl were doing things to her and not Shane. Everything was so messed up. But she wasn't going to let Daryl try to put the blame off on her.

"I never left you hanging. I left you a note because I had to go. I even tried to wake you, but you were sleeping so soundly that all you did was roll over. This is your fault!" She was so angry at him, yet turned on at the same time that she placed both hands on his rock hard chest and shoved him.

Caught off guard, he took two steps backward before stopping and his face hardened to stone. Grabbing her wrists with surprising gentleness, he removed them from his chest and twisted them behind her back. He was so fast that she almost didn't even realize it was happening until she felt her backside pressed firmly against his anatomy and she fought back a wave of desire. He must have noticed as well because he stepped back slightly, putting a bit of space between them, but she could still feel the heat radiating off of him.

His voice by her ear made her jump in surprise, "I don't know what note you're talkin' about, but there wasn't any note to be found when I woke up. Just an empty hotel room. And I find it hard ta believe that ya tried to wake me up. I'm a light sleeper so I would have felt ya tuggin' on me. I ain't stupid," he muttered.

"The note was in your wallet. I'm sure if you checked your wallet then you would find it," she argued.

Holding her wrists with one large hand, she felt him move around and she knew that he was reaching for his wallet. She waited, knowing that there was no way the note wasn't there. She had stuck it there herself so she knew it wouldn't have easily fallen out. It had been ten years...no way had he overlooked it in all that time, right?

"There's nothing here," he commented, his voice sounding more rough than before. He sighed, "Listen. I don't know what happened here, but I gotta take ya in. I really don't wanna cuff ya." Well, he didn't want to cuff her under these circumstances anyway. He wouldn't mind putting the cuffs on her to tie her to his bed while he did dirty things to her with his mouth. Gritting his teeth, he nearly bit his tongue in half at the thought.

Her shoulders slumped and then she nodded, "Okay. Can I at least get my purse and my keys?"

Her voice was soft and nearly killed him with the resignation he heard there. He nodded and released her, watching her leave the room. With her gone, he was able to breathe a little easier and he took the opportunity to study the place.

It wasn't what he would have pictured for her. The place was clean, more so than the outside would have suggested, but it was still in rough shape despite being clean. It was the kind of place that he and Merle would have been able to afford...not Carol. The only thing the place had going for it was that the neighborhood wasn't as bad as some of the others. It didn't make him breathe any easier knowing that this was where she lived though. She deserved better and he found himself wanting to give her better. His fists clenched at the emotions running through him.

The note hadn't been in his wallet and that had hit him hard. He had gotten excited thinking that somehow in the past ten years he had missed the note...that she had really left him one. Then when it hadn't been there he had felt like a fool for having false hope. Was she playing him? If she was, then she was playing the wrong guy because Daryl Dixon didn't relish being played. The whole situation was infuriating to say the least. The most infuriating part was when she walked back out to the living room and with just one look he wanted her. He wanted to forget the bond and just take her to her room and make love to her until she couldn't walk straight. He wiped at his forehead with a slightly trembling hand, silently commanding himself to get it together.

"Ready?" He asked gruffly.

She nodded, not meeting his eyes and admittedly that hurt him more than he would have liked. Holding the door open for her, he allowed her to pass through before following her out. She stopped short at the sight of his bike, but there was nothing that Daryl could do about that now. It was going to be the sweetest torture to ride with her pressed up against him the whole way, but he would have to suck it up and endure it.

"You're taking me in on _that_?" She asked.

"Got a problem with bikes?"

She bit her lip, "I've never ridden on one."

"Well today's your lucky day," he replied and then cursed himself for the statement. He winced, "Sorry."

Carol shrugged, "Don't worry about it. Things have been so bad here lately that this very well could be my lucky day compared to all the others. I mean, it couldn't get much worse, right?"

She looked almost hopeful and Daryl fought the urge to wrap his arms around her tiny body. The fact that she had been having such bad luck made him ache. He wanted to hold her and protect her from the bad things, but it wasn't his place. Instead, he only nodded and helped her onto the bike. Thankfully the station wasn't that far away and it would be a relatively short ride. He didn't think he could stand much more right now.

...


	3. Chapter 3

...

The ride to the station, although short, was admittedly the longest ride of his life. Every shift or twitch of her body didn't go unnoticed by his own. Pulling into the parking lot, he guided the bike to the side entrance and parked it near the doors, not bothering with an actual parking spot. He cut the engine and engaged the kickstand, the silence somewhat deafening as he held out a hand to help her off of the bike first. She ignored the offer, instead bracing herself on his shoulder as she swung her leg over and climbed off. He overlooked the slight from her and stepped off of the bike, putting one hand on the small of her back to lead her towards the door that they would enter.

Each step on the pavement was like a stab in his chest and by the time they actually reached the door he was seriously debating this whole thing. He glanced over his shoulder at the bike and contemplated hauling her over his shoulder and climbing back onto the bike to haul ass out of there. They were much too far into the whole situation to back out now though. Might as well get it over with. He reassured himself with the fact that she was likely only going to spend one night in the cell which is what he saw most times for such minor offenses. Why she hadn't just gone to court he didn't know. It would have been so much easier.

Daryl rang the buzzer at the door and waited, sparing a glance in her direction. She was chewing on her bottom lip, her eyes traveling everywhere but at him and the door. He felt like such an ass and the whole thing wasn't even his fault. If he hadn't come for her then someone else would have and they wouldn't have been near as easy on her as he had been. He really was doing her a favor.

The door opened and one of the officers named Martinez greeted him. "What we got Dixon?" Martinez asked.

Daryl urged Carol forward, but it seemed like her feet were stuck to the concrete so he tried again only to get the same results. "Walsh...Carol," Daryl told Martinez. Catching the edge of the door to keep it open, he looked at Martinez who was regarding Carol speculatively. "Can ya give us a minute?"

Martinez shrugged, "Sure thing, but make it quick," he warned. "I don't do this for everybody, you know."

Daryl nodded in understanding and Martinez left them alone, the tip of Daryl's steel toes being the only thing to keep the door from slamming closed again. He moved in front of Carol and lifted her chin with the tip of his finger. She lifted her chin, but she still refused to look at him and that hurt him more than he would have liked. Dammit, why did she have to make this so hard?

"It ain't that bad. You'll likely only be here for a night and then you can sign yourself out, time served." Her lip quivered and he sucked in a breath. "Fuck. Please don't cry."

Instead of releasing the tears that he was certain would fall, she shoved him again, but this time he stood stock still and let her use him as a punching bag. She balled up her fist and hit him again and again, her face a mask of frustration. He could tell that she wasn't giving the punches her all, but all the same he was getting a little tender with her going at it repeatedly. Finally she seemed to have enough and she shocked him by collapsing against him and nearly squeezing the breath from him. He stood there for just a moment and then his arms wound around her small frame.

When she pulled back slightly and looked up at him the sad look upon her face nearly did him in. "I know you don't believe me, but I did leave you that note," she explained. "I wasn't trying to skip out, but my friends were ready to go and they were my way home. I waited on you to call for nearly a month, but when you didn't I gave up." She pulled away from him and he loosened his grip on her somewhat reluctantly. He watched her wipe at her eyes that were red rimmed. "That night was one of the best of my life and I never forgot you or the way you made me feel."

Her words cut him like a knife, each one slicing at him and leaving him raw and bleeding. He reached for her, to do what he wasn't sure, but he just needed to touch her all of a sudden. She bypassed him and grabbed the edge of the door, pulling it open enough so that she could step inside.

"I'll be alright from here on out," she said. "I'm a big girl and I can handle one night in jail." He had to hand it to her. He knew that she was nervous, but she sure as hell did a good job of sucking it up even though he was pretty sure she hadn't ever spent a night in jail before. Then she delivered the killing blow. "It was nice seeing you again, Daryl...Goodbye." And with that she left him standing alone outside of the jail. It didn't even matter that he hadn't gotten his money because he knew he wouldn't take it. Not for her.

Numbly he stared at the door for several moments and then he pulled out his cell phone as he headed back over to his bike.

"Yeah?" Merle answered on the second ring.

"It's done," Daryl said shortly. "Headed to Otis's for a drink."

There was silence in reply and he knew that Merle was surprised that Daryl was going to drink, something he didn't do very often.

"I'll meet ya there."

Daryl snapped the phone closed and fired up his bike, revving the engine much higher than necessary. He pulled out of the parking lot, one eye on his mirrors as the jail shrank smaller as the distance between him and Carol grew larger.

...

Daryl was on his second beer with a side of nachos when Merle walked in. Merle took one look at him and shook his head.

"Damn sad sight seein' you here drinkin' beer. Hell, we had beer at home brother."

"Nobody forced ya to come," He snapped.

Merle raised a brow, but chose not to reply as he ordered himself a rum and Coke. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You did the right thing by takin' her in. Besides, we could use the money."

Daryl snorted, "Didn't get it."

"Say what? Those bastards! If they tried ta stiff us-"

"No, Merle," Daryl interrupted. "I didn't give them a chance to give it to me and I wouldn't have taken it had they tried. It wasn't about the money," he muttered. "It was never about the money." It had always been about _her_.

He saw his brother's jaw twitch as Merle tried to process that there would indeed be no five hundred dollars. "Woulda been the easiest money we ever made brother. Hell, if it's you that's got the problem takin' it, then let me take it. Fuck, that's our rent."

Daryl's hands tightened around his mug of beer, " _No_. We are _not_ collecting on this bond," he growled.

"Fine. Be a fuckin' do-gooder then. What she say at least? How come she never called your ass after all these years? She into chicks?"

Daryl scoffed. "Nah, nothin' like that. She claims she left me a note in my wallet telling me to call her or some bullshit. Course I ain't never seen a note and I double checked to make sure, but nothing was there. It couldn't have fallen out...hell I don't even use my wallet that much, ya know?"

Merle was quiet as Otis, the bartender, delivered his drink and he took a long sip, his expression serious for once. "She left it in ya wallet, you say?"

Daryl nodded, "Yeah. I think she was just tryin' to make me feel better, but it don't. Hell she almost started cryin' for Christ sake! An' you should see where she lives! Any closer and she'd be in the fuckin' ghetto!"

"An' what did ya say the note said again?"

"For fuck's sake! Aren't ya even listenin'?" Daryl snapped, his tone arctic. "What the hell difference does it make?"

Merle licked his lips, sucking his teeth lightly as he shifted in his seat. "Guess ya don't remember a whole lot about that night then, huh?"

Daryl scowled, "Out with it."

"We switched wallets. I spent all my cash an' needed some more, but you were so busy moonin' over her that you handed me your wallet an' you took mine."

Daryl began to perk up a bit. The note was in Merle's wallet the whole time? "Gimme your wallet," Daryl threatened.

Merle shook his head, "It ain't there." Sighing, Merle signaled Otis for a refill and waited until the bartender disappeared to fill it before explaining. "See I found this note 'bout two weeks after that night...was kind brief sayin' somethin' about havin' a great time and callin' her back. It had a number and it was signed, 'C'. I thought it was from Cassie, ya know? That bitch was always tryin' to push herself on me." Merle laughed lightly, but Daryl didn't reciprocate. "You know how that broad was...all ya had to do was look at 'er and she thought you was married to 'er."

"You're tellin' me that you had that note the whole damn time and you thought it was yours?" Daryl could feel his blood pressure rising. Of all of the things to happen, he would have never suspected this at all. Leave it to his brother. He nearly rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Merle shrugged, looking a little uncomfortable. "Honest mistake."

Digging in his wallet, Daryl pulled out several bills to cover his tab and stood up, swallowing down the last drop of beer from his glass. He was going to need it.

"Where ya goin'?" Merle asked.

"Got some stuff I gotta take care of. Figure out how to clean up this mess," Daryl's tone was icy.

He moved away from the bar and then had a thought that made him backtrack. Stepping up behind Merle, he smacked him in the back of the head, making Merle's drink slosh over the side of his glass.

"Ten years, Merle! Christ!" Daryl didn't even wait on a reply before he strode from the bar, his steps purposeful and sure. He would find a way to fix this if it was the last thing he ever did. This wasn't goodbye. Fuck that.

...

Carol sat in the corner of the jail cell that housed two other women and tried not to think about the fact that she was spending the night in jail. She sat in the farthest corner of the room with her legs pulled up to her chest on the bench that ran the length of the wall.

She was pissed at Daryl, but more than that she was disappointed. She hadn't actually thought that he would go through with taking her to jail and it hurt her that he had more than she thought it would. In a way she had almost expected him to try and come barreling in behind her, but he hadn't and she suspected that it was partially her fault. She hadn't given him any indication that she wanted him to follow her at all and at this point she doubted that she would ever hear from him again.

The jail cell wasn't as bad as she had thought and thankfully it was relatively uncrowded considering it was a weekday. The only two other women that occupied the cell were sleeping off a drunken stupor and therefore weren't bothering her in the slightest. She was thankful for that to say the least. The cell for the men was right next to theirs and there was only one man over there who stared off at the wall almost as if he were fascinated by it. She was pretty sure he was missing some of his marbles so she made sure to keep an eye on him at all times. If he headed towards their cell then she was going to move to another seat.

The officers had been nice to her, most of them knowing her already from when she had been married to Shane. It was embarrassing to be getting locked up, but it was the law and apparently she had broken it so she would serve her time and move on. She hadn't seen Shane anywhere so that was relieving to say the least. The last thing she needed was for him to be working and eyeballing her all night.

People came in and out pretty often, but she didn't pay them any attention as she focused instead on the train wreck that seemed to be her life lately. It was only when she heard _his_ voice that her head snapped up and she locked eyes with him immediately. He seemed to be arguing with Rick, one of the officers on duty. Carol liked Rick well enough...out of all of them he seemed to be the nicest one there. He was friendly with Shane though so that kept her from liking him too much.

To say she was surprised when Daryl hauled off and punched Rick in the eye would be an understatement. She gasped audibly at the hit, cringing as several officers pulled him away from Rick, jerking his hands behind his back. He didn't seem to protest even when they pushed him against the bars of the cell she was in so that they could hold him until they made sure that Rick was okay.

Carol stared at him in confusion, his deep blue eyes regarding her with an intense heat that seared her very soul. It was only when they announced that Daryl would be spending the night in jail that it hit her what he had done. And before they pulled him away from the bars he winked at her, sending shivers of pleasure down her spine.

The second he was thrown into the other cell he made his way over to the bars that separated them, a look of concern on his face. "You alright?" He asked softly.

Carol frowned, "What are you doing Daryl?" Even though she had a pretty good idea she still wanted to hear him say it.

"The note. Merle had it the whole damn time. We switched wallets that night, but I didn't remember it because I was drunk." He was rambling, but he didn't care. "Anyway it doesn't even matter," he continued. "What matters is that I was wrong an' you were right...An' I lost ya once ten years ago, I ain't gonna lose ya again."

...


	4. Chapter 4

...

Carol woke up from a restless sleep on the hard benches of the jail cell, her whole body protesting her movements. She knew she probably looked horrible, but there wasn't much that she could do about it. Sleeping in the jail cell had to be the worst night's sleep she thought she had ever gotten.

Remembering Daryl in the cell next to hers she glanced around and finally spotted him just on the other side of the bars watching her. He offered her a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes and she wondered if he had gotten any sleep at all the night before. Judging from the circles around his eyes she would say that it wasn't likely. They hadn't talked much the night before, but she had to admit that having him on the other side of those bars made it a lot easier to fall asleep. She still couldn't believe that he had gotten himself arrested. She wanted to be mad at him, but it was so hard...and when he had punched Rick, well that had to have been the hottest thing she had ever seen.

"Well, well, well, do my eyes deceive me or is that my ex-wife in a jail cell?"

Carol cringed at the voice and slowly slid her eyes in Shane's direction. He stood in his cop uniform leaning on the other side of her cell, his eyes pinned on her. At one point in time she had actually been drawn to him and thought him good looking, but not anymore. Compared to Daryl, Shane wasn't even a blip on her radar. In fact, the more she thought about it the worse she felt for marrying the guy in the first place. What exactly _had_ she seen in him anyway?

He stared at her pointedly, clearly waiting on a reaction from her that she had no intentions of giving him. He was trying to stir up her blood pressure, but she refused to allow it this time. Instead she stared at Daryl and allowed her mind to conjure up all kinds of images of him including, but not limited to, his naked body. Except Daryl kept throwing dark looks in Shane's direction, his whole body poised and rigid. She was reminded of a wild animal sitting in wait to strike out onto a helpless victim.

"How about lettin' us out of this cell? I think our time has been served," Daryl's voice was soft, but held an underlying current of menace to it.

Shane switched his focus over to Daryl and Carol could see that she was sizing him up with mild interest. She prayed that Daryl wouldn't antagonize him because once Shane got it in his head that he didn't like someone, he could be pretty ruthless. She didn't want Daryl involved in the middle of her mess. She racked her brain for a distraction, anything to keep the two men from getting into a conversation that might just make matters worse for them. Shane was also conniving and there was a chance that he would hold them in the cells for longer than he actually had to, especially if he was the only one currently on duty which appeared to be the case.

"You must be Dixon...the _bounty hunter_ turned criminal," Shane drawled, his tone dripping with disdain.

Carol pushed to her feet and ran her fingers through her hair, an action that immediately drew Shane's attention back to her. She knew Shane had a thing for her hair and just like she had thought he was focused back on her again, his eyes sparkling with interest. It made her skin crawl, but she didn't let it show.

"You're looking kinda thin Carol. You been eating alright?" Shane asked.

Carol wasn't fooled and she almost snorted in reply. Leave it to Shane to play the considerate ex-husband like he was actually concerned for her well-being. The only thing Shane was concerned about was getting back into her pants which she knew would _never_ happen.

"I'm fine, Shane. A little hungry this morning though since I didn't get dinner yesterday," _Or lunch either for that matter._ "It sure would be nice if you could let us out so that we could go home and get some rest," she said.

"Us?"

Carol winced. Of course, Shane didn't miss anything and she hadn't meant that to come out the way it sounded...at least not in front of Shane whose cop instincts were never far away. She didn't hear Daryl approach, but he was suddenly there next to her on the other side of the bars.

"She rode in with me an' I'll be takin' her home," Daryl said.

Shane's gaze drifted between the two of them as he digested that information. "And who exactly are you to Carol? A _boyfriend_?" Shane sneered.

"And what if I am?" Daryl challenged, taking a step closer to the bars in Shane's direction.

Carol tensed and opened her mouth to speak, but thankfully she was saved.

"Shane," Rick called as he entered the room. Shane blinked and immediately stepped away from the cell, the threat disappearing from his eyes as suddenly as it had come. "I thought you were supposed to be releasing these two?" Rick questioned.

Carol felt bad when she saw the bruise around his eye, black and shiny beneath the fluorescent lights of the building. He didn't seem upset with Daryl though and he offered them both a smile that she returned.

"I was just having a little chat Rick. Nothing to be upset about. Thought you weren't due in until later?" Shane asked.

Rick shrugged, "Bad morning...thought I'd come in a little early and get some things done."

Before Shane could get to it, Rick had pulled out his keys and was unlocking the door to Daryl's cell. Shane began to move then, mirroring Rick's actions by unlocking the cell she was in. Except he stood partially in the doorway, forcing her body to brush against his as she slipped past. She noticed his eyes flash hungrily and then he gazed over her head, a cocky smile on his face. She walked steadily away from him, noticing the shift of Daryl's eyes from Shane to her.

"I've got some papers for you two to sign and then you'll be free to go. Just a moment," Rick commented as he went behind the desk.

"I can get that Rick. Take a load off," Shane started forward, but Rick held up a hand and smiled.

"I've got it Shane. Like I said, I needed a distraction this morning so I don't mind."

"You forgetting that this is the guy who punched you yesterday?" Shane asked.

"I'm sure that Daryl got all of his aggression out and that he's not intending on punching me again, am I right?" Rick lifted his eyes to Daryl.

"Nah, we're good," Daryl nodded in agreement.

"Perfect. Now let's get you two taken care of so you can get out of here, huh?" He offered her another smile and Carol smiled back at him. She had a feeling that Rick knew more than he let on and she was grateful for the intervention, no matter how small.

...

The moment they pulled back in at her apartment and Daryl shut off the bike her heart began to pound. She was tired and her body ached, but she wanted him to stay. She knew it was crazy, but she was almost scared to let him go for fear that he might disappear and she might not see him for another ten years. She didn't think her heart could take it. She was relieved when he followed her to her door.

After unlocking it she turned suddenly, intending to ask him a question. Apparently he hadn't been expecting the turnabout and so he was a lot closer to her than _she_ expected. Even tired as she was and as _he_ probably was, he still had the ability to make her pulse race. Instead of moving backwards and giving her some space, he held steady.

Carol swallowed, "Would you like to come in?"

"Yeah." His voice was a dry rasp and incredibly sexy.

Nodding once, she swept her tongue across her bottom lip without thinking. His eyes flashed hungrily and she blushed, quickly turning back around to open the door for them. He followed her in and she chewed over what to do now. She knew that she needed a shower first and foremost and then maybe she could fix them something to eat. He had to be hungry and she was starving.

"Do you mind if I grab a quick shower? I feel kind of yucky," she admitted.

He shook his head, "Don't let me stop ya."

Carol gestured to the couch and kitchen, "Make yourself at home. I promise I won't be long...ten minutes tops."

He stepped forward and lifted his hand to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing across the skin in a soothing gesture. "Take your time. I'm not goin' anywhere." His words caused her body temperature to rocket astronomically. He said them with such finality...as if he planned on staying for an extended period of time. Not that she would mind if he did.

He settled on the couch while she hurried into the bathroom to start her shower. She adjusted the water to a much cooler temperature than normal in an attempt to clear her head. With Daryl around she seemed to be drifting about in some sort of fog.

She still couldn't believe that he was here and in her apartment to boot. He had changed somewhat since she had seen him, but nothing drastic and it certainly hadn't taken away from his appeal at all. If anything he just looked sexier than ever. When they had first met, his hair had been short and a much lighter brown, like the color of sand. His hair had darkened considerably now and he had also grown it out some so that it hung just shy of falling into his eyes. He had more facial hair than she remembered, but it fit him and she found that she liked it. A lot.

Rinsing shampoo from her hair and rushing more quickly in an effort to get back to him, she forced her thoughts back to real life. Right now she needed to stay focused on getting a job and if she wasn't careful she could find herself in big financial trouble. She had credit cards, but she hated to use them unless it was a dire emergency. The last thing she needed was to put herself in a lot of debt. The situation worried her and so did Shane, but at least for today she had Daryl. Even if it was _only_ for today she was going to enjoy every minute of it.

Pulling on a simple white shirt and dark shorts, she ran her fingers through her damp hair deciding to just let it dry naturally. She quickly brushed her teeth and applied just a touch of makeup before being satisfied with her appearance. Shane had been right...she was thinner than normal, but then again she hadn't been eating as much because of stress. She would remedy that today because she was already starving. Daryl must be good for her appetite. With a grin at herself, she slipped out of the bathroom and back to the living room intending to ask him what he would like to eat.

She stopped short as she entered the room and saw him slumped over on the couch, lips barely parted. His eyes were closed, arms crossed against his chest. A lock of hair fell over one eye, giving him a boyish appearance. She felt her heart melt at the sight and decided to let him sleep. She would fix something to eat and when he awakened then he could eat if he was hungry. Grabbing a light blanket, she draped it over him and after a moment's hesitation she untied his boots and pulled those off as well. Satisfied that he was at least moderately comfortable, she leaned over and barely brushed her lips across his


	5. Chapter 5

...

The first thing Daryl noticed when he awakened was that he was burning up and he wasn't running a fever. Unless you counted the very real desire that he had for the woman currently draped across the other end of the couch sleeping. A glance around made him aware that he had a blanket draped across him...along with one of Carol's legs. A leg that was completely bare up to the thigh and that was angled in such a way that he was sure that all he had to do was tilt his head in just the right angle to see her panties. Not that he looked, but he was more than tempted.

The woman was even captivating while she slept. He was drawn to the very relaxed expression upon her face down to her lips that were slightly pursed as she breathed in and out. Her head rested in the crook of the couch between the arm and the back. One of her legs was casually thrown across his lap and the other was pulled up to her waist, her arms lying lax across her belly. He smiled softly and began to ease out from underneath her leg. He hated to leave her there, but he had to use the bathroom and his stomach was starting to growl at him in protest of not being fed.

He placed one hand on the underside of her leg and lifted so that he could slide out. He regretted the action instantly because as soon as his hand touched her bare flesh so intimately he wanted more. Lightly brushing his thumb over her smooth skin he forced himself to lower her leg and back away. He wasn't that type of guy. However, he was still very much a guy and that alone made it hard to look away.

It didn't take him long to locate the bathroom as there were only three other doors in the place, one belonging to her bedroom and the other that led outside. He answered the call of nature and then headed back to the kitchen. He fully intended to fix himself something to drink and then wait on her to wake up, but he was surprised that there was a plate of food waiting for him on the table with a note that simply read, ' _Eat me'._ He snorted as his mind immediately conjured up something dirty that he was sure she hadn't meant at all. Maybe there was a little Merle Dixon in him after all.

Thinking of his brother reminded him that he had yet to clue Merle in on what was going on. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he turned it back on and saw that he had several messages, all of them likely from his brother. Sitting down to eat, he pulled out his phone and dialed his brother's number.

"Fuck's sake! This better be good," Merle's voice growled into the phone.

"It's me."

"Daryl? Been tryin' to call you all night, where ya been brother?"

Daryl hesitated and decided not to bring up the fact that he had gotten himself arrested just yet. "I'm with Carol," he replied instead.

Merle whistled and gave a throaty laugh, "So ya been busy bangin' the hell outta her, then?" Merle hummed his approval. Daryl heard a feminine voice in the background and then Merle's voice became muffled as he responded. It seemed that Daryl had interrupted something, but it was hard not to with Merle.

"It ain't like that Merle. I just...I can't leave her here in this hell hole. It ain't safe." He waited, but only heard muffled noises in the background. He sighed, exasperation clear in his voice, "I'll call ya later." He hung up the phone, not waiting to see if Merle had heard him or not. Rolling his eyes, he stuffed it back into his pocket.

"You should have woken me up." Carol's soft voice caught him off guard and he turned to find her standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Her hair was slightly rumpled and he could tell that she was still very tired.

"What are you doin' up? You should be sleepin'...I know you're still tired." Daryl stood up, feeling weird for sitting while she was standing. She rubbed at her eyes and blinked, projecting the image of a teenager almost. He smiled softly and put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing softly so that he could lead her back into the living room. She moaned at the touch of his hand, leaning into his firm grip with a sigh.

"God that feels good," she purred.

Daryl felt himself harden automatically at her response even though that wasn't her intention. He was instantly aggravated with himself. It seemed like she was always making him aroused no matter what she did. He had to get a grip on himself.

"Why don't you go sit back on the couch and I'll rub it for ya?" He murmured softly.

She paused as if chewing over that thought and then she nodded, moving slowly over to the couch where she sat down. He moved behind her, sliding one leg on either side of her body so that his crotch was nestled against her ass. He swallowed hard at the contact, but forced himself to focus only on her shoulders. Moving his hands back to her shoulders he massaged them firmly, rubbing his thumbs over her muscles in small circles. She tipped her head forward almost immediately, letting out another of those breathy moans that made his blood burn.

"You are amazing...I don't think anyone has ever massaged me before," she admitted in a silky voice.

He paused for only a second before resuming his caresses. "I don't think I've ever given a massage before so I guess we're even," he admitted.

"Have you ever received one?"

"No."

Before he knew what to expect she slithered out from under his hands and climbed behind him. He was left with his hands in the air, blinking at how fast she moved. He tried to grab her and pull her back, but when her nimble fingers hit his shoulders he let out a groan that surprised even him.

Carol grinned to herself as she worked her fingers into the muscles of his shoulders, dipping down to his back every few minutes. He was making little sounds of pleasure, his whole body going lax beneath her touch. She continued working him, not giving him a chance to think about switching back around. She liked knowing that she could make Daryl feel good. It made her feel useful, something that she truly enjoyed. It gave her lots of joy to help others.

Her fingers skirted to the hem of his shirt and she tugged on it causing him to tense up again. His hand reached around and clasped hers, stopping her actions. He twisted around so that he was facing her. "That might not be such a good idea," he warned. If she took his shirt off and touched his bare skin there was no telling how quickly things were liable to get out of hand. It was much safer if they both kept _a_ _ll_ of their clothes on.

She looked crestfallen, but she offered him a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. He felt like an ass. Didn't she have any idea just how much he wanted her?

"I want you more than I want air right now, but I also don't want to fuck this up. Being here with you, _touching_ you, it's taking every last ounce of self-control I got not to rip your clothes off and see if ya taste the same as you did all those years ago. I like to think I got a lot of self-control Carol, but a man can only take so much." Even now he knew that he was treading a fine line. Every moment he spent with her was making it that much harder to keep his hands to himself.

She mulled that thought over and instead of replying she merely slid over onto his lap. She surprised him by sliding her hands around his stomach and laying her head onto his chest. He slid his arms around her in response, careful to keep free of certain areas that would only make things worse. It felt good to hold her, her tiny body pressed close to his. He could feel her heart beating against his, a gentle pounding that slowed to match the beat of his own.

He didn't want to leave her there by herself, no matter that she had already been staying there alone. He knew that asshole deputy was her ex-husband and the way that he had looked at Carol just didn't sit well with him. The man hadn't looked at her like they were divorced...there had been an underlying sense of infatuation and lust lingering in his gaze.

"Are you okay?" Carol asked, breaking his concentration as she lifted her head to peer up at him.

"Just thinkin'," he murmured.

"When you think that hard you get wrinkles right here." She pressed her fingers above his brows and stroked the tips over his skin softly. "You shouldn't think so hard," she advised with a smile.

The corner of his mouth lifted in response and he slid his hands up her arms to sift through her hair. "I shouldn't do a lot of things Carol, but that ain't never stopped me before."

Her lips parted and just like that he decided that he couldn't wait. He needed to taste her now...needed it like it was his last breath on earth. Drawing her face close, his lips slanted across hers, his tongue seeking out entrance. She mewled into his mouth and opened her lips to accept him. Shifting her whole body closer to him, he stroked her to a burning heat with his tongue. She ground her hips against his as he captured her bottom lip between his teeth, nibbling on the plump flesh lightly.

"Daryl," she trembled in his embrace.

On a sigh, he leaned his forehead against hers so that they could both catch their breath. "I'm sorry," he whispered huskily.

"Don't be sorry," she replied. "I wanted that as much as you..." She swallowed, "I want more than that actually."

"You're gonna be the death of me woman," he growled. Shifting her over onto the couch and off of his lap, he stood and walked over to the window, staring out at the street. He was quiet for several minutes, observing the surroundings before sparing her a glance. "Much as I wanna continue this exploration there's some things we need to discuss first."

Carol remained on the couch, her legs tucked beneath her as she watched him. "What kind of things?"

His tone was grim and definitely aware as he replied, "Things like how your ex-husband has driven by your house twice now since I've been standin' at this window."


	6. Chapter 6

...

Carol frowned, "He has?" She jumped to her feet and walked over to the window to peer out. They had slept almost all day so dusk was just beginning to fall outside and night would be upon them soon. However, she didn't see any cars out when she looked out of the window.

"He ain't there anymore," Daryl said. His eyebrows drew together as he stared out of the window. There was something about that guy that made Daryl uneasy, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "What's this guy's deal?" He said in a low voice, mostly to himself.

Carol pulled away from the window with a sigh, "He's never quite gotten over losing me I think."

Daryl let the curtain fall back into place as he watched her crawl back onto the couch and get comfortable. He tried not to let his jealousy shine through, but it was hard when he thought about some other man touching her, fucking her. If only things hadn't happened the way that they had then maybe...he shook his head. Things happened the way that they did for a reason. Daryl might not be religious, but he was a firm believer in that.

He wanted to know what exactly had caused them to divorce, but at the same time he didn't want to know. The things that she might tell him might not be what he wanted to hear. Despite it all though, he felt compelled to ask. "What happened with him? He hurt you?" His voice took on a rougher tone.

Carol's eyes fell down to her lap and she inhaled deeply as she gathered her thoughts. What could she say about Shane? She still felt like she really didn't even know him even though they had been married once. "We were only married a year before we divorced," Carol began. "Everything between us happened so fast and he was so persistent. I think he meant to move things fast though as weird as that sounds, you know?" She glanced up at him, but her eyes were shadowed and far away. "He never hurt me though, not really. It's hard to pinpoint exactly where everything went wrong, but it just did. Shane was...very consuming, almost obsessive really. He demanded all of my attention all of the time and it all got to be too much, too suffocating. I needed out, but he didn't want me to go, practically begged me to stay. So I did," she continued with a sigh. "Despite my judgment I stayed and we lasted a year before I was done. He seemed to be okay with it, but then he just kept coming around like we were still together. He claimed he was just keeping an eye on me, but it felt different. I think that he thinks that there is a chance we might get back together."

Daryl listened to everything she had to say, her words drifting through his brain. Shane sounded like a grade A asshole to him, but it wasn't his place to say. He wanted to kick himself in his own ass for ever letting her get away though. He knew that he would never leave her now, especially not with Shane lurking around. He would camp outside her doorstep if he had to, but she wouldn't be here alone all night, not anymore.

His cell phone rang, the shrill sound making her jump as he reached into his pocket for the small device. "Yeah?" He answered, his eyes still on Carol.

"This is it brother!" Merle crowed. "Got us tha one we been lookin' for!"

Daryl frowned, "What the hell ya talkin' about Merle?"

"Chrissakes, Daryl! Get yer head outta that woman's pussy an' back in tha game! Tomas, brother. Got confirmation of his whereabouts from my source."

Daryl felt a rush of adrenaline course through his bloodstream at the name. Tomas was a slick one, skipping court for drug charges and domestic violence towards his woman. He kept eluding the cops though and especially them, but he had underestimated the Dixon's. Merle and Daryl knew people in all kinds of places, had grown up around all kinds of thugs in their younger years so they knew the rules of the game. And they played it well. There was a big bounty out for Tomas - five thousand dollars if Daryl remembered correctly. No way could he pass this one up and he grit his teeth at the horrible timing.

"Alright. Where?" Daryl asked.

Carol stared at him, watching his intense expression as he listened to Merle. He said a few more words to his brother and then hung up the phone, his eyes drifting back to hers. "You need to go?" She asked.

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and nodded. He crossed the small space and hauled her up against him, forcing her to draw in a ragged breath. His eyes said what words couldn't - he would be back. He brushed a light kiss over her lips. That would have to do for now. If he did anything more then he would never leave.

"I'm comin' back," he said softly.

She nodded, "Okay. I want you to."

He smiled lightly, "Good. I wasn't gonna take no for an answer anyway."

She returned his smile, "Be safe."

"Always." He headed for the door, doing a quick scan of her locking system. It didn't meet up to his standards, but he had no time to fix it now. He paused with one hand on the doorknob, "You have a phone here, right?"

She shook her head and bit down on her lip, "I didn't have the money to pay the bill," she admitted with an embarrassed blush.

He tossed her his, "Anything suspicious happens, ya use it. If ya need me, then ya dial Merle's number, it's in the contacts," he explained.

She gripped the phone to her chest and nodded, "Okay. Go ahead. I'll be fine."

"Lock the door behind me," he instructed.

Carol laughed, "Daryl... _go_. It's not my first time staying by myself. I'll be fine," she insisted.

He smiled at her and then he was gone, the door closing shut firmly behind him. She crossed over to the door and locked it then heard his footsteps as they left the porch. She leaned against the door and smiled softly. She would miss him while he was gone.

...

Carol settled into the tub with a book and several candles lit. Daryl had been gone for about an hour, but she had no idea how long it might take him. She knew nothing about these kinds of things. She intended to soak in the bath for a bit with a good book and relax. She rarely indulged in things for herself, but she did enjoy bubble baths whenever she had the chance. They were even better with a good book.

Every time she tried to read a page from her book, her thoughts would just drift to Daryl and then she would get lost from the words. Deciding that reading was fruitless, she leaned back into the water and closed her eyes instead. She let her mind conjure up dirty images of Daryl there with her, his naked body behind hers in the tub, his fingers playing between her legs. Pretty soon she worked herself up into an arousal and she let her own fingers slide down beneath the bubbles as the images continued.

A loud noise against the side of the house had her eyes flying open and she sat up in the tub as she listened for it again. Easing herself from the tub, she reached for her robe and tied it snugly around her. She listened for anything other noises and then quietly exited the bathroom. Creeping into the living room, she saw a flash of light shine through the kitchen window and then disappear. With her heart in her throat, she crept over to the window and pressed her ear to the cool glass.

A loud knock at the back door startled her and she stumbled backwards, knocking Daryl's cell phone from the table. It hit the floor and the battery fell out the back with a loud clack.

"Carol!" Shane's voice boomed through the door.

Carol closed her eyes and swallowed, willing her heartbeat to return to normal. It was only Shane. She grabbed up the pieces to the cell phone and began putting them back into place, her fingers shaking slightly.

"What is it Shane?" She called through the door.

"Open up. I saw that prick bounty hunter leave. I want to talk to you."

So he had been watching her house? That gave her chills and she pressed the button to turn Daryl's phone back on, willing the device to move faster. She didn't feel so safe all of a sudden. "It's late. Can't we do this some other time?"

"Carol." She heard the frustration in his voice and then he was quiet. "Open the fucking door!" He pounded on it so hard that the cheap wood vibrated.

Carol's fingers scrolled through the contacts screen on Daryl's phone. She found the one that read Merle and hit the button to dial the number.

"Dixon," a gruff voice answered.

"Is...is this Merle?" Carol whispered.

Outside of the door, she could barely make out Shane's shadow as he lingered. "Are you talkin' to someone Carol?" He yelled.

"The one an' only," Merle replied. "Who's this?" His voice took on a flirtatious tone.

"This is Carol. Daryl told me I could call if I needed him. I-" She cringed as Shane pounded on the door once more, harder this time. "Oh God."

"He's already left to come back in your direction sugar." Merle's voice was instantly more alert. "Are you okay over there? If somethin's goin' on then ya need ta tell me an' I can be comin' right behind him. You got somebody after you darlin'?"

Carol drew in a shaky breath, "Yes... _no_. I don't know. I just-" She paused as Shane's shadow disappeared and she heard his boots leaving the porch. Running to the window she peered out, but she didn't see him anywhere. Seconds later, Daryl's bike roared to the curb and she saw him switch off his headlights as he put the bike in park. "Daryl's here," she breathed in relief.

"Good. Hang tight, darlin'. If y'all need me, he knows how to call." Merle paused, "That goes for you too darlin'."

"Thanks Merle." Carol hung up the phone and unlocked the door for him, peering out past him as he climbed the steps. She saw that her neighbor wasn't home and that had been why they hadn't come over to see what the commotion was about. In the distance, taillights caught her eye and she just knew that they belonged to Shane who obviously had heard Daryl approaching. She hadn't ever felt so terrified of the man before.

Daryl was smiling as he approached until he got a good look at the terror in her eyes and saw that she was shaking. Instantly he was on alert and he scanned the area. "What happened?" He asked harshly.

Carol pulled him indoors and shut the door behind him, locking it up tight. "Shane was just here."

Daryl's eyes flashed as he took in her robe and her wet skin, "He touch you?" His voice was cold and deadly.

"No. I didn't let him in." She swallowed and rushed forward into his arms, drawing comfort from his strength. She felt foolish for having gotten scared so easily, but she couldn't help it. Maybe her imagination had been running a little wild with her. "Did you catch the guy?" She asked to change the subject.

"Carol-"

"I'm fine. I promise. He was just trying to talk to me, but he got mad that I wouldn't let him in. It was nothing," she explained.

He searched her eyes and then finally nodded, "Yeah, we caught him."

She burrowed into him, "Good."

"Yeah." He ran a hand through her damp hair, "I won't be leavin' you alone again though."


	7. Chapter 7

...

"Christ, Carol. You're shakin'. Are you sure he-"

Carol placed her hand over Daryl's mouth and shook her head adamantly. "He didn't."

Daryl sighed and his hands dropped to her waist, his eyes finally really taking in her state of dress. "Are you...naked?" His voice was gruff and he raised one brow at her.

Carol bit her lip and then she remembered the candles. Gasping, she pulled away from Daryl and ran into the bathroom. If she wasn't careful she was going to burn her apartment down to the ground. She really needed to get her shit together. She let the water drain from the tub and began blowing out the candles, sensing his presence behind her as she grabbed for the last one. She turned around with it in her hand and took in his silhouette framed in the doorway. The candlelight bounced off of him, casting various parts of him in shadows while illuminating others. She swallowed down a surge of arousal.

"I should probably get dressed." She cleared her throat and took a step forward but he didn't move from his place in the doorway.

Instead he grabbed the candle from her hand and blew it out, encasing them in total darkness as he sat it down on the counter next to the sink. Carol trembled, but this time it wasn't from fear. His hands found her hips again and then his lips were on hers, soft and probing. She kissed him back, drinking in his scent and calmness. He kissed her slowly, drawing her arousal from her with each swipe of his tongue inside of her mouth. It was several minutes before they parted and with it he drew in a shuddering breath.

"Daryl?"

"Yeah?"

"I am naked under this robe...and wet," she admitted.

He hissed sharply and Carol slowly undid the sash on her robe, letting it fall open before she stepped into him again. Even through his clothing he could feel her bare skin pressing against him as if nothing were between them. He was walking a thin line of self-control that was slowly waning with each passing moment between them.

"What are you doin'?"

Carol arched onto her toes and kissed his neck, "Seducing you." She grabbed his earlobe between her teeth and tugged.

That was all it took before every last ounce of control Daryl had possessed was gone. Spinning them around, they both stumbled out into the hallway in the darkness, bodies on fire as their hands groped for bare skin. Carol felt her back hit the wall, but Daryl was there to hold her up, his mouth hot on her neck. Her fingers worked the belt around his pants as his teeth bit at her sensitive skin. She moaned and his hands replaced hers to work his pants off. He stepped away for just a moment to rid himself of his clothing before coming back to her, his naked skin scorching with heat.

He pressed his whole body against her and she felt the answering throb deep in her core. Wrapping his arms around her, he ripped the robe from her shoulders and tugged it down. They stumbled and Daryl's hand hit something solid on top of a table. It crashed onto the floor and Carol yelped, but neither of them cared as they continued to paw at each other. Feeling his way around, he finally found her doorway and guided her inside of her bedroom to lead her toward her bed.

Carol let out a gasp as she tripped over one of her shoes that lay discarded on her bedroom floor. Daryl reached for her, but they both tumbled into the wall and Carol laughed. "This is dangerous," she murmured teasingly.

Daryl snorted as his lips closed over one nipple, sucking the skin deep into his mouth. She arched into him and he planted one hand beside her on the wall for leverage. His hand encountered the cool and smooth surface of her mirror, the glass illuminated by the nightlight plugged into her wall. Moving his head down her body he reached her belly and slid his tongue inside of her navel. She whimpered and her body began to slide down the wall. Daryl followed her down, his palm leaving a trail of prints down her mirror as he went.

Carol met the floor first, her descent softened by Daryl's hand guiding her down. She lay back, flushed and panting as she waited for him. But instead of coming back to her navel, he spread her legs apart and buried himself between them. Her eyes fell closed, rolling back as he parted her lips and slid his tongue inside to taste her. Her hips lifted off of the floor and she ran her fingers into his hair and pulled him closer. He responded by pushing one finger into her to accompany his tongue and she cried out, leaning up onto her elbows. Her eyes locked onto the mirror behind Daryl and her lips parted at the image that was reflected back at her.

Daryl's beautifully broad shoulders filled the mirror, his muscles shifting as he dove into her as if she were his last meal. He had a demon tattoo on his back that was partially hidden by the darkness, but she could just make it out as he moved around. He lifted his head as if he sensed something was going on and they locked eyes, his dark and full of carnal hunger. She gulped and he glanced over his shoulder, smiling when he saw that she had been staring at their reflection.

"Ever watch yerself cum before?" He rasped.

Carol's breath left her in a soft whoosh as he buried himself back into her, sucking her clit between his lips. He held taut, applying firm pressure as he lay one hand over her lower belly and pressed down firmly.

"Daryl," she breathed. "Oh God...Daryl. Fuck... _fuck!_ " She cried out loudly as her body lost control, her hips rising up to his face as he licked her dry. She was shaking from the intensity when he sat up and wiped his mouth with the back of his arm. He began to crawl over her, but Carol placed one hand up against his chest.

"No. It's my turn," she demanded.

He seemed surprised, but he rolled off of her and pulled her over with him so that she straddled him. Carol bit her lip and began to rake her nails across his chest, enjoying the tiny spasms that reverberated through his body with each swipe. Sliding down his body she wrapped her hand around his heavy length and squeezed him firmly. She brushed her thumb up and over the head of his erection and he moaned. Carol could feel every ridge and vein on his shaft...she reveled in the soft and silky feel of him. Beneath her touch, Daryl lifted his hips upwards into her firm hand. His eyes were almost closed, the tip of his tongue just barely touching his lips as he gazed at her. Even if she couldn't see him all that well, his actions told her how much he wanted her.

She wanted to taste him, something she hadn't gotten to do all those years ago when they had nearly attacked each other in the same way. Her breasts glided across his thighs as she slid down and took him into her mouth. He sucked in a sharp breath as she stroked him with her tongue, sucking him deeply into her mouth. He tangled his fingers into her hair, not pushing or pulling, but just hanging on like she was sucking every last ounce of energy from his body. It made her feel bold and powerful in a way she hadn't ever quite experienced before.

"Fuck!" Daryl cursed and hauled her up towards his chest. "Wanna be inside you." In one full swoop he lined her up with the head of his cock and thrust up into her deeply. She cried out at the feeling of him filling her up and he lost his head a little bit then. Or maybe he had lost it the first night that they had spent together ten years ago. Either way, he just knew that he wanted to be with her for a long time...maybe forever. He maneuvered his body so that his back was against the wall and he was sitting up with her straddling his lap. He could see her and touch her a lot better this way.

Carol lost herself in the sensations that he created within her, the barrage of heat and need. It made her feel strong yet weak in the knees at the same time. _And when was the last time that a man had made her feel weak in the knees?_

Ten years ago, that's when.

Daryl slid his hands around to her ass, cupping her smooth, round cheeks with flexed fingers. She moaned and arched upwards, her breasts swinging teasingly close to his face. He repeated the action and when she arched again he caught one of her nipples between his lips and sucked like his life depended on it. Carol gasped and dug her fingers into the muscles of his shoulders as she began to come apart around him.

Carol felt like she was flying as sensation upon sensation rippled through her skin. She lost track of time and place as she cried out loudly. Underneath her Daryl rocked into her once more and her eyelids fluttered open just in time to see him lose himself. He let his head hit the wall behind him as his lips parted and he bit down hard on his bottom lip. Unable to resist, she kissed his throat over and over until his jerking subsided.

They were both damp and covered in a fine sheen of sweat, but neither of them cared. He wound his arms around her as she rested her naked body against him with a sigh. She felt sated and very sleepy as her eyelids drooped.

"You goin' to sleep on me?" He asked, his voice low and rough in her ear.

She hummed in contentment, "Yes."

He chuckled, "Let's at least get you into bed then."

He stood up and lifted her as if she were nothing, carrying her over to her bed. He settled her in the middle of the bed and then went to the bathroom to clean up before returning to hover in the doorway. She leaned up onto her elbow to stare at him in the darkness.

"Stay with me?" She asked.

He slowly walked into the room and slid underneath the covers, waiting as she snuggled into his side as if she had been built for him. He let his fingers trail across her bare arms for several moments before speaking.

"Thought you'd never ask."


	8. Chapter 8

...

Daryl awoke just as the sun was winking through the curtains of Carol's bedroom, her naked warmth bundled into his side. He lay there for quite some time simply drinking in the sight of her so peaceful, relaxed, and he hoped happy.

 _He_ was happy. He felt a deep contentment being surrounded by her scent and supple curves. The way her body had taken his last night made him ache for her all over again. It was as if they were made for each other. He doubted that he would ever be satisfied when it came to her and he could only hope that she felt the same somewhere deep inside.

Her breathing changed and she shifted, her eyes slowly fluttering open to blink the remnants of sleep from her eyes. He watched her yawn once and stretch, her eyes sliding slowly in his direction. She seemed startled to find him awake and she blushed before smiling at him lovingly. Unable to resist, he trailed one finger over her cheek and felt a multitude of emotions cloud his eyes. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers sweetly, twisting his body just enough so that she curved into him. His tongue roamed freely within her mouth, taking everything she had to offer and giving her his soul in return.

The sound of his loudly growling stomach broke the intense heat between them and Carol giggled, muffling her laughter with her pillow. He gave her a mock glare, but it only proceeded to make her laugh harder. She straddled him, her nakedness on display for his eyes to feast upon.

"I'll make us some breakfast," she whispered.

He could think of something else he would rather have for breakfast, but he didn't voice his desires. Instead he lifted his hips slightly so that his erection prodded against her. Her lips curved into a wicked grin and she slid off of the bed much to his disappointment. He watched her select something to wear from her closet.

"You don't have to cook. I wanna take you out," he decided.

She raised her brows in surprise, "But I don't mind."

Daryl shook his head, "I've got to pick up some papers at the office anyway and I wanna treat you."

She regarded him for several moments, studying him intently. "If you're sure...?"

He grabbed a pillow from behind his head and threw it across the room so that it smacked her behind. Emitting a low growl, he made to lunge from underneath the sheet and she yelped.

"Why are you still here? Get dressed woman!"

"Alright, jeez! So bossy!" She laughed as she streaked from the room and Daryl smiled as he watched her go.

...

"So this is your office?" Carol asked as she followed him into the little trailer.

"Mine and Merle's yeah," Daryl responded as he moved over to the cluttered desk and began shuffling papers around.

Carol glanced around the small place, excited to get a glimpse into Daryl's life. It wasn't much of an office and it clearly could use some organization, but she wasn't one to judge anybody on anything. At least he had a job...she couldn't say the same for herself.

"Goddamn Merle and this stupid desk! Can't ever find shit," Daryl muttered.

"How does _he_ find anything?" Carol asked.

Daryl sighed and threw up his hands in exasperation. "Don't ask me how he does it, but somehow that asshole knows every piece of paper on this desk."

Carol looked at the desk in disbelief. It needed some organization badly and her fingers itched to pick up the loose papers and stack them into a neat pile. "You know," Carol mused as she walked in a slow circle, trailing her fingertips over the sparse furniture, "I never pictured you as a bounty hunter. It kind of...fits."

Daryl glanced up at her in the midst of his search and paused, "It does?"

Carol nodded. She was getting turned on just thinking about Daryl in action. "You've got this take-charge way about you...Picturing you manhandling criminals is kind of sexy," she admitted.

Daryl let the papers in his hands fall back onto the desk, abandoning his efforts momentarily. The papers could wait. "Sexy?" He echoed as he stepped around the desk and she came to a stop right in front of him. She bit her lip and nodded as his fingers slid into her belt loops and tugged her closer to his hard body.

Carol felt her breathing quicken at the action. "I bet you have to get rough with them too," she said breathily. "Don't you?" She implored.

Daryl's nostrils flared and he studied her for several moments before placing his hands on her hips and twisting her body around to face the desk. He pressed himself against her, "You mean like this?" He whispered. Carol's lips parted and she felt her body grow hot with desire as his hands slid over her ass and up around to her breasts, "Sometimes I gotta search for weapons too."

"I don't have any weapons," Carol breathed.

Daryl pressed his lips into the curve of her neck hotly, "Oh don't be so sure about that," he murmured. "Your body is a very powerful weapon all on its own."

Carol arched back into him with a sigh. "Daryl."

He scraped his teeth over her neck with a huff, "God I want you..."

"Yes," Carol urged. "Take me." She even parted her legs for him and he groaned as she bumped against him.

"Here?" He asked in disbelief.

"Here. Right now. I need you."

With a muffled groan he slid his hand down the front of her pants and slipped one finger inside of her. He found her wet and ready. Just touching her had him unbearably aroused and his eyes darkened with lust. Carol whimpered as he began to work her over, strumming his fingers back and forth over her clit. She moaned as she heard the distinct clink of his belt buckle as he began to undo his pants.

The door burst open and in strode Merle Dixon. Three things happened then. Daryl snatched his hand from Carol's pants like it was on fire, Carol squealed, and Merle Dixon smiled wider than the Cheshire Cat, letting out a low whistle.

"Hope ya don't think this counts as overtime brother," Merle cackled.

Daryl glared at his brother, his fingers deftly buckling his pants back in place. "Don't ya know how to knock?"

"This is an office Daryl, not a goddamn hotel. Ya wanted privacy, should have gone down to the Motel Six 'round the corner. Hear they got happy hour rates."

Daryl flipped his brother off just as Carol stepped in between them, effectively blocking a potential argument. "I just wanted to thank you again Merle for being so nice on the phone the other night."

"The phone?" Daryl asked curiously, his eyes darting between the pair of them.

Merle winked at Carol, "Anytime sugar. Any time you ever need anything then you give ole Merle a call."

"Merle," Daryl growled in warning. "Knock it off."

"What's the matter brother? Afraid of a little friendly competition? If you're meetin' this sweet thangs needs then you got nothin' to fear."

Carol smoothed her hand down the front of Daryl's shirt to calm him. She smiled at him, "Oh, he's more than satisfying my needs Merle. In fact, he was just in the process of trying to satisfy another when you walked in." Carol couldn't believe how brazen she was being, but there was something about Merle that told her he would admire it. When he barked out a laugh and affectionately punched Daryl on the shoulder she could see that she was right. Her eyes twinkled as she peeked back at Daryl and saw that he was watching her heatedly.

Merle paused at the edge of his desk, "You been messin' with my desk?"

Daryl sighed, "You know damn well I have. You can't find anything on that trap. I was looking for the bond sheet."

Merle slid several pieces of paper aside and plucked a sheet from underneath, handing it to Daryl. "Right there in front of you if ya know where to look."

Daryl snatched the paper from Merle and rolled his eyes. "Smartass," he muttered as he scanned the sheet.

Merle crossed his arms, "Thought you was pullin' back some from taking bonds? Thought you wasn't happy?"

Carol stared at Daryl thoughtfully. He hadn't mentioned wanting to take a break from his current job or that he was unhappy in any way. She hoped that she hadn't made things worse on him by being here or distracting him with the mess that was her life lately.

Daryl met her eyes briefly, "I was. Things change."

Merle lifted his brows, but said nothing as he regarded them both. Carol cleared her throat and stepped forward, "We were actually heading to get some breakfast. Would you like to join us?"

"Nah, I'm good. Had me a big breakfast already this mornin' before I left."

"You cooked?" Daryl's voice was incredulous.

"Hell no!" Merle responded.

When he didn't elaborate, Daryl pressed for more info, "Well who cooked for you then?"

"A friend," Merle muttered. He took a sudden interest in several documents on his desk, rifling through them in the pretense of being busy, but Daryl wasn't fooled a bit by the charade.

"What friend was that?" Daryl asked. Merle muttered something beneath his breath and Daryl leaned forward, both palms pressing hard onto the wooden desk. "What was that?"

"Andrea, goddammit! You happy now? Andrea cooked for me," Merle confessed.

Carol looked back and forth between the two, curious as to who Andrea was and why Merle seemed so hell-bent on keeping her a secret. She watched Daryl smile then and he nodded.

"Good. Glad to see ya finally come to your senses a little bit."

"Yeah, yeah. Better hurry up before you miss out on your breakfast," Merle said dismissively.

Daryl placed one hand on the small of her back and guided her towards the door, holding it open while she stepped down. "Merle?" Merle glanced up at Daryl, clearly waiting for some sort of biting retort, but nearly floored when he got the polar opposite. "Proud of you," Daryl said softly.

Merle blinked in surprise, his features softening momentarily, but he quickly recovered. "Get the hell out man!"

Daryl chuckled, pulling the door closed behind him as he joined Carol by the bike. "Let's go get some breakfast and we'll figure out what to do from there."

"Is Merle okay?"

"He's in over his head, but he just don't know it yet...so yeah, he's good," Daryl chuckled. "Let's go."

...


	9. Chapter 9

...

Carol's stomach began to growl as they entered the diner and Daryl shot her an amused look. "Looks like I ain't the only one that's hungry," he commented.

Carol blushed, but then she licked her lips and offered him a saucy smile. "That's not the only thing that I'm hungry for." She slid her eyes down his torso to his zipper and brushed one hand across his side as she slid into the booth. Daryl's barely audible intake of breath made her grin wider and he shifted his jeans around as he slid in opposite her.

Opening the menu he eyed her over the top, "Keep talking like that and we might just have to find a way to satisfy your appetite."

Carol felt the resounding heat of his stare all the way down to her toes. She opened up her own menu, a smile playing across her face. She was enjoying their playful teasing and found herself looking forward to time alone with him later. Or at least she hoped that they would have time alone later. Hopefully she wasn't being presumptuous.

"Hi and welcome to Jewel's. What can I get you folks to drink?"

Carol smiled at their waitress, an older lady with graying hair whose name tag read, 'Rose'. "I'll have a cup of coffee with cream and sugar," Carol replied.

Rose looked at Daryl. "Coffee. Black, please."

Rose nodded, "If you're ready to order I can take it or if you need a few minutes just let me know."

Carol looked at Daryl who was lounging back against the booth, one arm thrown casually across the back. She wanted to climb over the table and straddle him to finish what they started and she blushed at her own thoughts. He met her eyes and raised a brow at her, "You know what you want?" His voice was smooth, almost as if he was really asking her something other than about what she wanted to eat.

"I'll take the breakfast sampler platter please. Scrambled eggs," Carol ordered.

"I'll have the same," Daryl said.

Rose scribbled down their orders and collected the menus before bustling back to the kitchen. They were silent, studying each other from across the table. Rose brought their coffee and set the steaming mugs in front of them, once again leaving them alone. Carol fixed her coffee the way that she liked it while Daryl sipped at his own.

"Why did you marry that asshole?" Daryl asked suddenly.

Carol swallowed, knowing that this discussion was bound to happen sooner or later. She had hoped for later...much later, but she knew that it was ridiculous to put it off, especially when she cared so much for the man in front of her. She had thought a lot about her reasoning and she took the first sip of her coffee while she translated her thoughts in her head.

"Because you never called," she answered truthfully.

Daryl's eyes flickered with something akin to regret, but Carol knew that he deserved nothing but total honesty from her. She had waited for that phone call and each day that had passed without it had been a stab to her heart. That night with Daryl hadn't been just a one night stand and she knew that she would have done anything to have him. Instead she had settled for Shane because he had shown interest in her and it had felt nice. Her heart hadn't ever really been in it, but she had hoped that over time she would have grown to love him. She hadn't.

"If I could go back -"

Carol placed her hand over his in the middle of the table. "Don't. We can't change the past and I'm a firm believer in that things happen for a reason. We're together now and that's all that matters. Let the past be the past."

His fingers traced lightly over her palm and up each digit, outlining her hand within his. It was hypnotic and she found herself lost just watching him. "You're right," he said suddenly. "Move in with me." It wasn't a question, but a statement and she gasped in shock. "It's not safe where you are, Carol," Daryl explained. "What if that asshole -" Daryl's eyes hardened and he pulled back from her and shook his head in disgust. "I'd kill him."

Emotions she wasn't used to experiencing gripped her and she swallowed down a lump in her throat. "I can't leave my home, Daryl," she explained softly. "I won't be bullied and that's all Shane is...just a bully. He likes to flaunt his badge, but he's not dangerous. Once he sees that I've moved on then he'll likely simmer down. This is the first time he's ever seen me with anyone."

Daryl was quiet, his fingers slowly ripping a napkin into shreds. Rose appeared with their food and placed the plates in front of them making sure they had everything they needed before she left them again. She began to eat although the idea of food wasn't as appealing to her anymore.

"I don't like the idea of you bein' there alone...vulnerable," Daryl muttered.

She toyed with her fork, "I was kinda hoping that I wouldn't be there alone that much..."

His gaze snapped to hers, eyes sharp and hungry, but not for food. They were quiet as they stared at one another, a sensual heat spreading across her body.

"Daryl?" An unfamiliar voice asked.

The moment broken, Carol blinked and glanced over at their visitor. Daryl broke into a grin and slid over, gesturing to the space next to him.

"I thought you disappeared on me old man. Was thinking about dropping by this weekend," Daryl said.

The man chuckled, "Disappear? There's a lot of life left on these tires and don't you forget it." He turned his gaze to her and smiled warmly. "Well I don't believe we've met. Got yourself a little lady, son?"

Daryl's cheeks turned a faint red and he cleared his throat, "This is Carol...Walsh. Carol, this is Hershel Greene. He own the vet office on the north side of town."

Carol smiled at Hershel, "It's nice to meet you," she said.

"Likewise dear. It's good to see this one here with himself a nice woman and pretty to boot." Hershel elbowed Daryl, winking and bellowing out a low laugh.

His laugh was infectious and they both found themselves laughing along with him. He ordered himself a cup of coffee to go and rubbed one hand over his white beard.

"How's Annie?" Daryl asked.

"Hmph. You're the only one she's ever allowed to call her that, you know. She's doing just fine though. I swear she gets younger every year," Hershel teased. "Old age doesn't slow her down a bit, that one."

"She's always had a young heart," Daryl mused. Carol finished her food and watched the conversation with an amused expression. She wasn't used to seeing Daryl so open and relaxed.

"And don't you forget it," Hershel replied, handing Rose some money and thanking her for the coffee. "I best be going. Got to make a stop by the paper and get this ad written up."

"What you got goin' on?" Daryl asked curiously.

"Bethie's going off to college and I've got to find a replacement for her. Gonna be tough to find a hard worker with experience behind a desk," Hershel said.

Carol's ears perked up and she looked at Hershel Greene curiously, "You're hiring?"

Hershel's kind eyes slid over to her and he nodded, "Yes ma'am, I am. You happen to know anyone looking for a job?"

"Actually, I am. I was a receptionist at Gold's Law Firm for six months while their secretary was on maternity leave."

Hershel stroked his chin thoughtfully and Carol opened her mouth to speak, but Daryl beat her to the punch. "I'll vouch for her," Daryl offered. "You wouldn't find a harder worker." Hershel's eyes twinkled with amusement as he gazed back and forth between the two of them.

"Come on by tomorrow after lunch and we'll get you acquainted with everyone," Hershel said.

Carol was sure she hadn't heard him correctly, but she was beginning to get excited anyhow. "You mean I've got the job?"

"If Daryl says that you're a hard worker, well then I'm inclined to believe him. Boy is a man of few words...unlike his brother."

Carol couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. She stood up and grabbed the man, completely catching him off guard by hugging him warmly. "Thank you," she said softly.

Hershel grabbed up his coffee and saluted both of them, "My pleasure. Saves me the trouble of putting in the ad and doing countless interviews. Come to think of it, you'd actually be doing me a favor. See you tomorrow," he called out as he exited the diner.

...

Daryl pulled out of the diner and headed in the direction of the place he shared with Merle. He was enjoying the feel of Carol's arms wrapped around his waist, her small frame pressed snugly against his back. He hadn't told her where they were going and she hadn't asked. She had simply climbed on behind him and they had left.

His plan was to grab some of his clothes and a few other things to take to her place since she wasn't going to stay at theirs. Either way he wasn't leaving her. Especially not with her asshole ex husband lurking around. He didn't like the guy at all and it wasn't just because he was once Carol's husband either although that little tidbit didn't help matters at all. He felt confident that she had no feelings for the guy though.

He could sense Carol's curiosity when he pulled into the small drive and cut the engine, holding out a hand for her to climb off. He and Merle rented a small house outside of town. They had chosen the place because it was surrounded by the woods and offered them privacy plus the comfort of the outdoors. The downside of that was that the house wasn't in the best of conditions, but it was livable and they could afford it. That was all that mattered to them really.

"This is your place?" Carol guessed.

Daryl nodded, "That it is. Need to change into some clean clothes and get some stuff. Come inside?"

Carol smiled and slipped her hand into his, "Okay."

Daryl bit his lip and returned the smile, his eyes heating up as they looked her over. Tugging her along faster, he dug out his house key and let them inside, not even pausing to show her the house.

"Daryl, slow down!" Carol squealed.

Daryl paid her no mind as he led her into his bedroom and shut the door behind them, twisting the lock just in case Merle came home. He pinned her against the thin brown door and claimed her lips in a scorching kiss. She yielded to him immediately and he pressed his whole body against hers.

"Christ, I'm acting like a fucking teenager," he gasped between kisses.

Carol's fingers curled into his shirt, keeping him close to her even though it wasn't necessary. He wasn't intending on going anywhere. "God, please don't stop," she begged.

"I don't intend to," he murmured as his fingers skirted underneath her t-shirt.

She sucked in a breath, her stomach quivering underneath his fingertips as he made his way up. He pushed her bra out of the way and thumbed her nipples, stroking them into stiff peaks that had her eyes glazing over. One hand drifted down to her jeans and he worked them open before sliding his hand inside. At the first stroke he groaned and his forehead tipped over to hit the wooden door with a thud. He was as hard as a rock, but he wanted to get her off...wanted to see her come undone because of him.

He wedged one thigh between her legs and lifted her shirt to reveal her rose colored nipples. He snagged one with this teeth, lightly nipping the bud and then lavishing it with his tongue.

"Ah, God...oh yes," Carol muttered brokenly.

Releasing the first nipple with a soft pop he moved to the other breast and sucked the tip into his mouth. He slid another finger inside of her and searched until he found the nub that he was looking for, the one that made her cry out. He realized belatedly that he wanted to hear her scream his name, wanted it to be his name that she cried out in passion. He needed to hear it like it was his last breath. He hadn't ever been one for sex talk though so he wasn't sure how to bring it up.

When he breathing began to quicken and her head thrashed from side to side, Daryl knew she was close. Burrowing his face into her neck he breathed in her scent and focused all of his attention on marking her. She writhed and then emitted a low moan as her body shook with pleasure. He stroked her until she was limp and swatting at his hand before he finally released her.

She slumped into his arms and laughed shakily, her shoulders shaking with the movement. He raised a brow at the laughter, but remained quiet until she finished, leaning her head back against the wood. He wiped at the tears pooled in the corners of her eyes with his thumb.

"You okay?" His voice held a rough edge to it and he cleared his throat.

"Never been better," Carol replied. "I didn't mean to laugh...I don't know what got into me, really. It's just - well I mean, I've never had an orgasm standing up against a door before. I think I'm losing my mind," she admitted.

Daryl chewed his lip, "We can slow down a bit if you want. Maybe we're movin' too fast..." Carol slugged him in the shoulder hard and he laughed at her expression. "Okay, okay, bad idea."

"Yes it was. Now help me fix my bra."

...


	10. Chapter 10

...

Daryl had a feeling that something was off as they rode back to Carol's place, the bike purring beneath them. When the cop car pulled out behind him and turned on its blue lights he knew without a shadow of a doubt who would be driving. His jaw locked tight with tension, he signaled and pulled over to the side of the road out of traffic. Behind him he felt Carol shift around and then her muffled curse which would have made him smile if the circumstances had been different.

"Unbelievable," she muttered. "What does he want?"

Daryl had a few ideas of what the man wanted, but he kept all of them to himself. Apparently Shane was a little hung up on his ex wife...either that or he was determined to just be an all around general asshole to her. Daryl cut the bike and used to his boot to flip the kickstand down while they waited. He kept his eyes glued to his rearview mirror as the cop car pulled in directly behind them. He wasn't at all surprised when Shane took his sweet time exiting the vehicle, sauntering over to them slowly in his cop swagger.

"Well now, ain't this a surprise? Didn't know you liked riding motorcycles Carol," Shane commented as he strolled to a stop next to the bike.

"I'm not sure where you got that idea Shane," Carol replied stiffly.

Daryl's hands tightened on the handlebars of the bike and he slid them off, pressing them down onto his thighs. Shane's eyes drifted over to his and he smiled, "Anyway, I pulled you over because you changed lanes back there without signaling."

Daryl's eyes narrowed, "I think you must have missed my signal then because I did."

"No, I'm pretty sure I didn't miss it because it wasn't there. I'm gonna need to see your driver's license as well," Shane said.

Daryl stood up, straddling the bike between his legs as he reached into his back pocket for his wallet. Carol huffed in annoyance, "Shane is this really necessary? All of these crazy driver's out here and you pull us?"

Shane's brows lifted in surprise, "Oh, so there's an 'us' now?"

Daryl pulled out his license and Shane deftly plucked it from his fingers as Daryl grit his teeth in an effort not to spew out a biting remark.

"Shane..." Carol sighed.

"If you're gonna write me a ticket then do it. We've got someplace to be," Daryl said. Shane bristled, but Daryl didn't care if he pissed the cop off or not. This was ridiculous and he would be speaking to someone about it. Carol was clearly being targeted for his own amusement and Daryl didn't like that one bit.

"I suggest you just hold tight there Dixon. I'll take as long as need be and then have you back on the road soon. I'd hate to make you late for your date," Shane said with a cold smile that told them he didn't give two fucks. "I'm gonna run this and make sure nothing comes back." Shane tapped the end of Daryl's license in the palm of his hand and turned on his heel, striding slowly back to his police car.

"Bastard," Daryl muttered.

"He must feel intimidated by you," Carol said from behind him.

"Intimidated?" Daryl scowled. "He's not fucking intimidated Carol, he's a goddamn jealous asshole." His tone was biting as he spared another glance at the car in his mirrors. He immediately regretted snapping at her as he felt her withdraw from him a bit. "Shit," he muttered. Sliding off of the bike, he grabbed her jaw with two fingers and gently directed her gaze to him. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I shouldn't have snapped at you...I'm not even mad at you."

Carol averted her eyes, "It's fine," she replied dismissively, but Daryl could see that it was anything but fine.

He shook his head, "No, it ain't fine. I'm an asshole sometimes...I think some of Merle rubbed off on me," he joked with a small smile.

Carol fought it, but her own lips curved upwards in response and she smiled back at him, swatting him on the arm softly. "Damn you...I can't stay mad at you."

"It's okay to be mad at me, especially when I deserve it," Daryl replied.

Carol shook her head, "No, I know you didn't mean it. Shane tends to bring out the worst in us all...myself included," she said sourly.

Daryl thought about that for a moment and with a glance back in Shane's direction, he lifted her chin and graced her lips with a soft kiss. She uttered a small sound of satisfaction and returned his kiss, smiling at him when he pulled away. Right on cue Shane exited the car, his face a hard mask of annoyance. Daryl's eyes danced with amusement, but he kept his face expressionless as he crossed his arms and waited by the bike.

Shane handed him his license and a bright yellow piece of paper...a traffic ticket with his name scrawled at the top. Daryl was irritated since he knew he had done nothing wrong, but he accepted the ticket without a word.

"Make sure you watch your speed as well," Shane commented in a clipped tone as Daryl put the ticket and his license away. "We need to get together soon and talk," Shane directed at Carol.

She shook her head, "I don't think that's a good idea. And please don't come by my place anymore like you did the other night."

Daryl nodded his agreement, "Yeah, I don't think that's very professional for a cop, do you?"

Shane turned and stuck his face right into Daryl's space, but Daryl had been anticipating his comment making a sting.

"What are you insinuating Dixon?" Shane growled.

Daryl wasn't one to be scared away or intimidated and he held Shane's stare with a coldness that surprised even Carol. "I'm _insinuating_ that cops are supposed to be protectin' people, not beating on someone's door late at night demanding you be let in. That's not the way to do things."

Shane sucked his teeth. "What she and I have goin' on is our business so you can just stay the hell out of it."

"You got no more business with her," Daryl snapped.

Carol slid off of the bike quickly and grabbed the tail of Daryl's shirt, tugging him backward a few steps so that she could slip between them. "Look, are you done with us here? Because we have things to do."

Shane glared at Daryl, but Daryl stood his ground, wanting so badly to throw his fist into Shane's face. He wasn't normally a violent person, but this guy was seriously pushing his buttons.

"We're done...for now," Shane said with a look over at Carol. "Just make sure you tell your loverboy here to obey all traffic laws." Shane sneered at him and walked back to his vehicle with Daryl watching him the whole way.

Carol stepped in front of him and ran her hand over his shirt to catch his attention. "Don't. He's just trying to get under your skin," she glanced over her shoulder as Shane slammed the door of his police cruiser shut. "He wants you to do something wrong like hitting him so he can take you to jail."

Daryl sighed as he stared down into her face, feeling some of his anger melting away at her touch. He was also acutely aware of the fact that Shane still sat there in his vehicle with the engine idling watching them. "Don't worry about me. I can hold my own. Let's get outta here," he said as he swung a leg over the bike and fired it up.

...

Shane sat in the police cruiser and stared at her. He gnawed on the inside of his mouth and tried to remember that he was only there to uphold the law. He couldn't touch either of them unless they were breaking it, but oh how he wanted to. He hated that redneck bastard with a passion and he couldn't understand what she was doing with that second-rate hick.

His hands slid over the steering wheel and tightened as he waited for them to leave. Every time he touched Carol Shane felt his blood boil. She had been close to coming back to him and now this guy have strolled right in and ruined everything for him. Now he had Carol brainwashed, but Shane wasn't letting this go. He would keep close tabs on this guy and find a way to win Carol back. She was his wife after all - ex or not, and he was determined to salvage their relationship. All he needed was a little time alone with her to explain how much he had changed, how much he missed her, and how much he needed her in his life. He couldn't make it without her.

She deserved better than some hillbilly with tattoos and an accent. That guy couldn't give her what she needed...not like he could. Shane smiled as he remembered the good times in their relationship...their wedding, honeymoon, and the way she couldn't ever seem to get enough of him during sex. He remembered it all like it were yesterday.

His jaw twitched as they drove off finally and his watch began to beep. He barely spared it a glance as he silenced the alarm. He shook his head and laughed out loud. "What a douchebag," he muttered. "She'll figure out he's not good for her soon enough and then she'll come back to me where she belongs." Flipping his visor down, he stared at the picture he had of the two of them, one taken shortly after they had been married. He ran his finger over her face and imagined that he could still smell her scent.

"Soon baby," he muttered. "Soon."

...


	11. Chapter 11

...

"Do you like spaghetti?"

Carol walked into her bedroom and paused as she watched Daryl change into a pair of jeans and slip a white t-shirt over his head. She felt herself begin to salivate at the presence of all of those glorious muscles. He had a duffle bag sitting on the floor by her closet and the sight of it among her things made her heart do a funny little flip-flop.

He turned to her as the shirt settled into place and nodded, "I like anything that ain't Merle's cookin'."

Carol giggled. "You give him such a hard time. He can't be that bad," she insisted.

He smirked at her as he sauntered over to her and she swallowed, suddenly feeling like her room was too small to accommodate this large man. He stopped in front of her and brushed a lock of her hair over her ear.

" _He_ ain't that bad, but his cooking? Yeah, it's bad," Daryl admitted. "And I only give him a hard time cause he gives me one most of the time. Don't let him fool you." His finger slipped from her hair and traced lightly behind her lobe and down to the v-neck of her shirt, following the ridge of material. "You don't have to cook for me, Carol."

Her body was hotter than a furnace and his touch wasn't helping. If she didn't escape from him right now then they would never eat. He was so intoxicating sometimes that she just wanted to jump his bones and never come up for air. She never imagined herself to be this addicted to sex, but with Daryl? It was worth every minute and she couldn't get enough. She doubted that she ever would.

Lightly slapping his hand away, he raised a brow at her but said nothing. "I know I don't have to, but I want to," she replied.

"Need some help?"

"Can you cook?" She was surprised that he offered. Shane had never offered to help her in the kitchen.

"Nope," he said and then grinned at her, nearly sending her to her knees with the force of it.

Carol laughed, "Maybe you can set the table then. Come on Romeo." She was aware of him behind her as she led the way back into the kitchen and she began to prepare their dinner. She didn't really want to bring up Shane, but she wasn't sure what to do about it. "Maybe tomorrow we can go talk to Officer Grimes about Shane," she suggested.

Daryl frowned, "What for?"

Carol shrugged as she continued her preparations, "Well, Shane's a cop...and I'm worried that he'll use that influence to screw something up with you and your brother. Don't the both of you kind of work in cooperation with the cops?"

"Sometimes, but not usually. Don't see too many of them unless I'm turnin' in someone. You don't need to worry about me an' Merle though. We can take care of ourselves...we're big boys," he chuckled.

Carol nodded, "I know. I just don't want to see him try and sabotage your business." She sighed and turned the food down low to simmer as she turned to him. "I don't want to be responsible for something like that Daryl. I would never forgive myself."

His features softened and he grabbed her by the arms, smoothing his hands up and down her skin. "You're not responsible for this. Shane is his own person and makes his own decisions. What he does has no bearin' on you anymore."

Carol pressed her forehead against his chest with a soft sigh. "Still."

He chuckled, his chest rumbling lightly. He moved his head down to her neck and pressed a soft kiss to her skin, "Don't worry so much. I'll take care of you." He lifted her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. She sighed in pleasure and rose onto her toes to brush her lips against his own. He kept his hands upon her hips and groaned softly as her body grazed his own. He kept the kiss light, "You wanna eat then I suggest you don't do too much more of that else you're gonna find yourself up against that counter and it won't be cookin' you'll be doin'."

His words made her face flame and she had never felt so alive as she did when she was with him. She forced herself to take a step back and checked on the food again, deciding that it was done. She was grateful for the distraction and pointed out to him where he could find the plates. She served them both and he carried the plates to the table, waiting until she sat down before he did as well.

They ate in a companionable silence that didn't make her feel obligated to carry on a conversation. It was a nice dinner and she imagined this was what it would be like if they lived together. She smiled when Daryl nearly devoured his plate, even going back for seconds and finishing at the same time she was eating the last bite of her first plate. He sat back with a sigh of contentment and then grabbed both of their plates, heading to the sink with them.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"I'm washin' dishes woman," he replied as if it were something that happened every day.

Carol was flabbergasted. This man was a constant delightful surprise to her and here he was washing dishes after she cooked. She stood up, "Daryl, you don't have to wash the dishes. I can get them later."

He scoffed, "Sit down and let me do somethin' nice for ya."

Carol couldn't resist and came up behind him to slide her arms around his waist. "Thank you," she murmured.

The loud pop and then the sound of rushing water that followed caught them both off guard. Water began gushing out from underneath the cabinet spilling down onto the kitchen floor by Daryl's feet.

"Shit!" Daryl cursed as he knelt down and jerked the cabinet open. He stuck his head underneath and turned a valve that quickly shut off the water, but it had already covered a sizable portion of the floor and Carol's feet were soaked. He glanced at her and shook his head, "Damn old shit. They need to fix this for you. Ain't right," he said.

Carol let out a deep breath and rubbed her temples. A busted pipe was just another thing to add to her list of worries...a list that seemed to be growing way too fast for her liking. She glanced up as Daryl flopped onto his back and slid underneath the sink, his long jean-clad legs sticking out, his feet bare like hers. She heard him tinkering with something underneath there and a few muttered curses, but she was focusing more on how erotic he looked positioned like that. Several ideas came to mind, but none of them had to do with the problem with the sink.

"I think I need to change," she muttered absently. "I got wet."

"Alright," Daryl replied, voice muffled by the cabinet.

Carol licked her lips and peeled off her shirt and tossed it to the side then slid down her jeans to join the pile. She stood there in her bra and panties, but Daryl hadn't looked out from underneath the sink yet and she took that to her advantage. Walking over to him with her feet squishing through the water she straddled his legs and he went very still.

"Carol?"

"Hm?"

He grabbed the outside of the sink and pulled himself into a sitting position, his eyes darkening with lust upon seeing her in a state of undress. "Thought you was changing?" His voice was gruff and husky.

She nodded and bit down on her lips softly, "I did." Her eyes drifted down his face past his neck and to his shirt that was practically see-through when wet. It was plastered to his chest like a second skin and it hid absolutely nothing from prying eyes. Without thinking about what she was doing, she grabbed the hem and tugged. Daryl arched his hips so that she was able to pull it up to his arms which he lifted for her to tug it the rest of the way off. "I think you need to change too," she suggested.

His hands slid around her hips and splayed against her ass, the wetness soaking through her panties. "Gonna help me?"

Her eyes fluttered closed and she tipped her head back as his lips descended upon her neck. He nipped her skin, trapping it between his teeth and giving it a light tug that made her moan. Her eyes blinked open and met his. "Touch me," she whispered.

"Yes ma'am."

Using one hand to grip the counter, he held her close to him as he raised them both off of the floor. Spinning her around he plunked her on the kitchen counter and her mouth fell open on a happy sigh.

"Where?" His eyes searched hers.

"Where what?" She asked in confusion.

He slid the tip of one finger down between the cups of her bra. "Where do you want me to touch you?" He clarified.

She inhaled sharply, "Everywhere." As his hands came up to cup her face, she caught one of them and led it down between her legs, crossing them to trap it there. "Start here."

He smiled softly and parted her legs before hooking a finger into her panties and moving them aside. She tipped her head back as he buried his face there and inhaled deeply. At the first flick of his tongue her head fell back against the wall, the weight of it suddenly too much to bear. She glanced down at the top of his head, his hands braced against the counter, the hard planes of his back tempting her beyond belief. His tongue dove forcefully inside of her, driving her wild as he tasted his fill of her. Her hands drifted to his hair of their own accord and she began to tug on the wispy lengths of it, lifting herself closer to his beautiful mouth.

"Oh God, Daryl...yes! Oh my...oh... _oh_." Her insides exploded into a million different tiny spasms and he held her steady as she came unglued. Spent, she took a moment to catch her breath as he stood and licked at the corners of his mouth. She knew she should feel sated considering she had just had an orgasm, but she only felt a driving urge to have him inside of her. Her body craved that connection with him and as they stared at one another she knew that he felt it too.

"Make love to me." It wasn't a request, but a demand and she meant every word.

...


	12. Chapter 12

...

Of all the things he could be doing tonight he had to be sitting in some fucking bushes spying like a goddamned peeping Tom. This was what his life had come to, he thought bitterly. The worst part about the whole fucking situation was that he had taken up smoking and he hated that shit more than anything.

It was all the Redneck's fault though. If he hadn't stuck his fucking nose in where it didn't belong then he wouldn't have to be here spying on Carol. _His Carol._ The prick had her brainwashed, but all that was about to change. The Redneck thought that he had won...he was in for a rude awakening.

So far he had watched them eat dinner, had watched his Carol cooking for the Redneck. He shook his head and blew out a cloud of smoke, crushing the tip of the cigarette underneath his boot. He watched the prick begin to wash the dishes and Carol walk up behind him, winding her arms around his waist. The whole thing made him sick to his stomach, but he couldn't look away. Like some kind of bad movie he was glued to it all, watching and waiting...for what he wasn't sure, but he felt like he needed to be here.

The sudden burst of water gushing from underneath the sink caught his attention and he watched as they both scrambled to fix the problem. He snickered to himself as he grabbed a peppermint candy from his pocket and unwrapped the cellophane, sliding it into his mouth. He got a sick sense of satisfaction out of seeing something in their perfect little lives go wrong for a change.

Then Carol started to take off her clothes and Shane found himself moving a little closer to the window. What the hell was she doing? She stripped down to her bra and underwear and straddled that fucker who was currently half hidden beneath the sink. Shane felt his blood burn as he watched them kiss and Daryl lift her to the kitchen counter.

"Good luck with that," Shane muttered to himself. "Carol isn't into that kind of thing."

He smirked to himself, the smirk quickly dying as he watched the Redneck bury his mouth between Carol's legs. His cock stirred a little when Carol threw her head back, parting her lips in an expression that reeked of sex. He found that he couldn't look away from it all and when she cried out Daryl's name, he knew he had to find a way to save her soon before it was too late. Somehow this guy had turned her into someone he didn't recognize, some alternate version of her real self.

Shane knew better though. That wasn't his Carol in there. She was hidden deep inside of that body though and he was determined to save her before it was too late. He would have her back one way or the other.

"Hang on tight baby. Shane's comin' real soon," he murmured.

...

Daryl made his way down the hallway, Carol's lips latched onto his neck, her legs wrapped around his waist. He entered her bedroom, barely making it to her bed before they toppled over onto the mattress, both of them laughing between kisses.

"God, you're beautiful," he murmured as he kissed the milky white skin of her throat.

She hummed and ran her hands through his hair, scraping her nails lightly over his scalp as she did so. "Show me," she coaxed.

He slipped the straps of her bra from her shoulders, reaching behind her to undo the clasp before tossing the garment across the room. Her beautiful breasts bared to him were too tempting to resist and he lowered his head to lavish them with attention. He sucked one nipple into his mouth first, circling it with his tongue over and over before moving to the next. She moaned beneath him, arching into him heatedly.

Her cool fingers slid down to his waist and began unbuttoning his jeans. eagerly trying to slip her hands inside of his boxers. He chuckled as she slid his zipper down and tried to slip inside, but he pressed his body closer and trapped her hand between them, a wicked grin upon his face.

"Patience," he urged teasingly.

Carol huffed, pushing up on his shoulder with her hand. He obliged her and rolled to his back taking her with him so that she straddled him. He cupped her bare breasts in his palms, fondling the soft skin with feather light touches. He rolled the nipples between his fingers and pinched them softly so that she ground her hips against him.

"Pants off," she ordered. "I can't take anymore."

Daryl shifted upwards onto his elbows, "I think we should test that theory," he commented.

She gave him a mock glare, "I disagree."

He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her close, kissing her soundly. She began to slowly sink into him, both of them falling back onto the softness of the bed. Daryl was so engrossed in her that he almost didn't hear the noise at first. In fact, for several seconds he began to think that he imagined it. He froze and placed one finger over her lips while he listened.

Silently, he slid her over and stood up, fastening his jeans quickly. Carol stared at him with wide-eyed confusion, but she made no noises. Daryl grabbed the extra blanket she kept at the foot of her bed and covered her with it. He padded silently over to his duffel bag and removed his knife, slipping it into his pocket before leaving the room.

He knew he had heard the soft sound of someone speaking and it just didn't sit well with him. He had this sinking suspicion that her cop ex husband was sneaking around again and it pissed him off. If he did find the guy outside somewhere, there was going to be hell to pay.

...

Carol wrapped a robe around her nearly naked body and sat on the edge of her bed, waiting as patiently as she possibly could. She had no idea what Daryl had heard, but whatever it had been couldn't have been good for him to tense up like he had. She really hoped that it turned out to be nothing and not another one of Shane's ridiculous antics. Would he really spy on her?

If she was honest with herself she knew that he would. There was something different about him lately...he seemed more on edge. He had always been a little tense, but this seemed different somehow. They really needed to talk to Rick. Maybe he had noticed something going on with Shane. After all, the two of them had been close at one point, but now they didn't seem so close anymore. Carol wondered about that.

Her bedroom door swung open and she jumped before realizing it was only Daryl walking back inside, his face grim. She stood up and looked at him questioningly.

"Well?" She pressed. He sighed and then held out the palm of his hand where several cigarette butts rested. Carol frowned in confusion, "I don't understand."

"These were outside your window. Shane smoke?"

Carol shook her head. She hadn't ever seen him smoking before and he never had when they had been married for sure. "No, not that I know of."

Daryl's face was a mask of hard lines. "Someone was out there. They must have fled before I got there," he said.

"You think it was Shane?"

"Who else? He's clearly got unsettled issues with ya Carol. The man's not right in the head."

Carol sat down on the edge of the bed and ran her fingers through her hair wearily. "Why? Why would he do something like this?" She sat up as a realization occurred to her suddenly. "You think he saw us? That he was spying on us?" The thought had her bristling with unsettled energy. This was her _home_...her safe place.

Daryl nodded grimly, "Those butts were outside your bedroom window." he confirmed.

"Oh my God...What do we do now? Should I call someone?"

He shook his head, "Nah, wouldn't do no good. Ain't got no evidence really." He paced the small floor space slowly and then came to a stop in front of her. He slid his hands over hers reassuringly. "You need to get your stuff together and come stay with me an' my brother a while. It's safer."

Carol sighed, "I don't know. I don't want to be run away from my home..."

Daryl let out a frustrated breath, "Carol, he's spying on ya! The man's got a fucking screw loose. I need to know you're safe when I'm not around. I feel like he's just waiting to catch you alone and then he's going to do something drastic. I would kill him," Daryl said firmly.

Carol glanced up into his blue eyes that were filled with anger and concern...concern for her. She knew that the best thing was to go with him even though she didn't want to admit it. It wasn't that she didn't want to go with him, but she had worked hard to get away from Shane and get this place on her own. It wasn't much, but it was hers and she felt like she was giving up a part of her independence by leaving it behind.

"If you think that's best," she replied softly.

Daryl fell to one knee and lay his head upon her shoulder. "I lost ya once ten years ago because of stupid reasons. I'm not gonna take any risks losing you again."

Carol sighed and wrapped herself around him, drawing comfort from his strength. "Then I guess we'll go to your place then because I'm not going to lose you either...I love you."

Daryl sucked in a breath, but he was smiling at her. "I love you too." He picked her up from the bed in the circle of his arms, lifting her feet completely from the floor as he hugged her body tightly to his. "I'm never gonna let anything happen to you. I promise," he whispered into her ear.

Carol responded by kissing him lightly on the neck in return."I know. Come on," she patted him on the arm, "Let's go."

...


	13. Chapter 13

...

Carol filed into the house behind Daryl as he brought her things inside, refusing to let her carry anything. She hadn't felt comfortable staying in her house after finding out Shane had been spying and she had been dead serious about leaving right then. She felt bad because it was getting late, but Daryl hadn't seemed to mind and before long she found herself at his place with him moving her things inside.

As she followed him down the hallway, what she assumed to be Merle's bedroom door swung open and out strode Merle Dixon himself...naked. Carol gasped and immediately moved to cover her eyes while Daryl cursed and stepped in front of her, effectively blocking her view. Merle seemed to be the only one unaffected as he glanced their direction with only the slightest hint of surprise at seeing them there.

"For fuck's sake, could you put on some goddamn clothes?" Daryl hissed from in front of her.

She heard Merle's low chuckle and then the sound of the door opening again. Several seconds passed before he stepped back out and she felt Daryl move from in front of her, deeming it safe to look. She was relieved to see that he had on clothing now, albeit only a pair of jeans that weren't even buttoned and barely clinging to his hips. He crossed his long legs one over the other and leaned into his doorway staring at them.

"The fuck you doin' home? Thought you was stayin' with Freckles here?" Merle drawled, throwing a thumb in her direction.

Carol wrinkled her nose at the comment, absently touching it where she knew she had a small splatter of freckles. Daryl rolled his eyes at his brother, setting the bags down momentarily so that they could talk.

"Had some problems. Asshole ex sneakin' around her house," Daryl explained.

Merle's eyes widened at this news and he stood up a little straighter. "That so?" He said with a glance between the two of them. "Well we know how to handle that brother."

Daryl held up a hand, "He's a fuckin' cop Merle. We can't handle this on the streets. I'm taking her to talk to Sheriff Grimes in the mornin'."

"Pft! What's he gonna do - slap him on the wrist with his baton? Come on brother, even you know that won't do shit."

"What are you suggesting we do then?" Carol interrupted curiously. Surely he wasn't suggesting something illegal...

Merle grinned at her wickedly, "Why, nothin' more than a little rough justice darlin'."

Carol shook her head. "No, you can't do that. He will find a way to blow this back on the two of you. He's sneaky."

She noticed that Daryl was staring at her hard, but she couldn't read his expression. He picked up the bags again, "We're gonna try this Carol's way first," he replied.

"And if that don't work?" Merle asked.

Daryl paused, "Then we find alternate means."

"Keep me updated." Merle brushed past them and headed into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

...

Daryl flinched as his alarm woke them the next morning bright and early. He couldn't believe he had slept so hard, but he had. He peered down at the top of Carol's head, her little body bundled snugly against his own. She was wearing one of his t-shirts and her panties with nothing else. It was the sexiest damn thing he had ever seen and he wished they could just spend the day in bed together. Unfortunately they had things to do today and Carol was supposed to head in to Hershel's office to start her new job.

He lightly stroked his fingers across her cheek, dipping them down to the neck of the t-shirt that fell open just enough to give him an eyeful. She twitched, reaching a hand up to scratch her face and he watched her eyes blink open slowly. She wore an expression of mild confusion for several seconds and then her gaze slid to his as the previous night came rushing back to her.

She smiled at him sleepily, "Morning."

"Mornin'." He watched her eyelids droop and he chuckled, nudging her gently with his arm. "Wake up. We gotta get an early start if we're gonna go by the station before you start your job."

Her eyes flew open, "My job! I almost forgot. I have a job!" She sat up quickly and pounced on him, taking him by surprise.

His breath left him in a whoosh of air as she planted her hands on his chest, her legs sliding along his hips as she settled on top of him. He knew the exact moment she felt his arousal when her eyes changed color, darkening with lust to match his own no doubt. He smiled at her, threading his hands around her waist as he pulled himself up level with her.

"Shower with me?" He asked huskily.

She nodded eagerly, "Okay."

He laughed when she slid off of him and grabbed him by the hand, propelling him forward with her body weight. She drank in the sight of him still ruffled from sleep, his jogging pants hanging untied around his hips. She didn't think twice about bursting into the hallway, forgetting the fact that Merle was there as well. Luckily he was nowhere to be found considering the early hour and she shut them into the bathroom, barricading the door with her body.

Daryl's eyes danced as he watched her lean against the door, his shirt rising just enough to give him a tantalizing peek of her panties. She bit her lip as she returned his stare, "Gonna wash my back?"

His smile turned carnal as he licked his lips, his teeth snagging his bottom lip. "Somethin' like that," he responded. He turned and cut on the water, letting it heat for a moment. She peeled off his shirt and hooked her thumbs into her panties, sliding them down her hips slowly. In turn he tugged on the string of his jogging pants just a tad, letting them fall to the floor in a pool around his feet.

He stepped into the shower first and held out his hand for her, holding onto her so that she didn't fall. He twisted so that she was under the spray and she tipped her head back, letting the steamy water stream over her hair and back. His hands were moving up and down her body, cupping her ass before grabbing the bar of soap. He lathered his hands and began to rub her shoulders, smoothing down just a notch to massage into her collarbones. Carol moaned out loud, bracing one hand against the shower wall to hold herself upright.

She watched through half-lidded eyes as he knelt in front of her, smoothing his soapy hands over her ass, her breasts, across her belly, and heading straight down her thighs. It felt so good that she closed her eyes on a sigh, letting her whole body relax as his hands worked their magic. He massaged all the way down to the tops of her feet before sliding his hands up the backs of her thighs. He pressed his face into the valley of her thighs without warning, his beard brushing against her sensitive skin in a way that made her moan loudly. He reared back on his heels and stared up at her as he kissed her in the most passionate way, his tongue flickering rapidly against her bare flesh.

She grabbed onto his hair and tugged on it sharply. He laughed and climbed to his feet, lifting her up against the wall for leverage. They had no second thoughts as he sank into her wet heat, burying himself inside of her deeply. She clung to him and they rocked together, taking comfort from each other as they made love in the shower. He was her rock, keeping her grounded just when she thought she might go insane from all of the recent events of her life. She kissed his throat, raining feather light pecks all over the skin she could reach.

"I love you Carol," he whispered as his forehead met hers.

She swallowed over a lump of emotion and arched into him further, "I love you too." The cooling water did little to quell the hot temperature of their bodies and Carol soon felt herself spiraling into an orgasm, his lips claiming hers to muffle her cries. He followed suit several thrusts later, his shoulders shaking and nose flaring as he pushed himself over the edge.

...

"So let me get this straight...you're saying that Shane Walsh was outside of your house last night peeping through your windows?" Rick asked.

Daryl sighed from his position next to her and Carol rubbed his hand softly. She knew he was getting irritated by having to sit here, but she had faith that the justice system would protect them. She prayed that it would anyway. Rick was perched on one corner of his desk, his arms crossed as he stared at the two of them thoughtfully. He seemed to be a bit bothered by something this morning, but he hadn't said anything to either of them.

"Pretty sure that's what I just said," Daryl deadpanned.

Rick nodded, smiling at him softly. "I'm sorry you feel like you're repeating yourself. I just want to make sure I have the facts straight. I guess it's the officer in me that needs to hear it two or three times...There's always the chance that someone forgot a small detail and sometimes those are key factors in a case."

"Sheriff Grimes, when Shane and I divorced things weren't like this... _he_ wasn't like this. It seems like he's been getting gradually worse since..." She blushed slightly. "Since Daryl came back into the picture." She squeezed Daryl's hand again, hoping that he didn't feel like she was putting this blame on him because she wasn't.

"I understand what you're saying and I get that it's creepy, I really do, but there's not much I can do-"

Daryl stood up so quickly that Rick leaned back a little in response. Daryl pointed his finger at Rick's chest, "Either you do something about him or I will," he threatened.

Rick ran a hand through his hair and held up his hands in surrender. He waited until Daryl was seated again before he continued. "Listen, this is off the record..." He paused and ground his teeth together before continuing. "I've noticed some changes in Shane lately," he admitted. "I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but he's not quite the same person. I've been watching him carefully."

Carol let her mind race over those words, her heart pounding a little. She didn't know what this all meant. What kind of changes had he seen in Shane? It made her feel a little ill to think she had been married to this man once. She supposed that it was right that you never really knew someone sometimes.

"There's somethin' else," Daryl said suddenly, his eyes intent on Rick. "I sense it. What is it?"

Rick sighed and clapped his hands down onto his thighs roughly. "Shane didn't show up for his shift this morning and no ones seen him since...well since you almost caught him last night."

...


	14. Chapter 14

...

Carol walked inside of the house after her first day at work, a small cardboard box tucked underneath one arm. She had had a wonderful first day working at Hershel Greene's office and she couldn't wait to go back. Things had been hectic at first and she had been surprised at how busy he was. It didn't take her too long to get the hang of everything though and she felt like she hadn't done half bad. Hershel seemed to have been pleased as well and that made her feel good. There was only one little thing that had happened and she wasn't sure how Daryl and Merle were going to feel about it.

The box shifted under her arm and she quickly righted it, heading for the kitchen where she could hear voices. Merle and Daryl were sitting at the kitchen table when she entered and Daryl instantly flashed her a smile that warmed her insides. They both glanced curiously at the box and she opened her mouth to explain when she caught sight of Daryl's face.

"Oh my God, Daryl!" Carol set the box down on the table and cradled his face between her palms. "What happened?"

He shrugged, "Got into a little scuffle with a jumper. I'm alright."

Carol studied the bruising around his eye in horror. It looked awful and her nurturing instincts were taking over full force. He grabbed her hand, dragging her attention back to him, "It's okay," he reiterated. "Should see the other guy."

"The fuck is in this box?" Merle's loud voice boomed out, startling them both.

Carol jumped back from Daryl and grabbed the box that was inching it's way across the table. She felt her cheeks blushing a deep red as she opened it and withdrew a tiny black kitten. "One of the customers brought in a stray cat today, thought it was hurt, but she was just trying to find somewhere to birth her kittens. All of them died except for two," Carol explained quickly. "One of the other ladies took the other kitten, but this one had no home and I..." She trailed off as both men stared at her silently.

Daryl broke the silence by standing up and rubbing one large hand across the kitten's head. "If you wanted a kitten all you had to do was say so," he said softly.

Carol smiled in relief, "Well I didn't actually know I wanted one until I saw it and then I just couldn't bring myself to leave her there. If it's not okay I can take her back to my place."

Daryl shook his head, "Nah, it's fine. She's cute." He took the kitten from her arms and lifted it, cradling it in the crook of his arm against his chest.

"Cute?" Merle grumbled. "Cats aren't cute. They're evil lil' shits that claw the goddamn furniture."

Daryl ignored him and rubbed one finger under the kitten's chin making her purr loudly. Carol cast Merle an apologetic look. "I don't want to cause any trouble, really. I can take her to my place, stop by there several times a day to feed her," she offered.

Merle was silent and Daryl walked past her to thrust the kitten into Merle's unwilling hands, forcing the man to hold the tiny ball of fur. Daryl crossed his arms over his chest and gave his brother a smug look. "Gonna tell her she can't keep it?" Daryl asked.

Merle mumbled obscenities under his breath and the kitten mewed loudly, butting her head into Merle's palm wanting to be petted. He rolled his eyes dramatically before handing the kitten back to his brother as he stood up from the table. "Keep the damn cat," he grumbled. "Just don't expect me to help take care of it." He left the room and Daryl flashed her a grin.

"Are you sure it's okay?" Carol asked.

"It's fine. Merle'll come around. He loves animals he just don't want anybody to know it because he thinks it makes him look weak," Daryl explained. Carol giggled and rubbed her hand over the kitten's tiny body as she rested in Daryl's arms again. "She got a name?" Daryl asked.

Carol shook her head, "No, not yet. Have any suggestions?"

Daryl lifted the kitten up and stared at her for several moments, "Ash?"

"Ash," Carol tried out the name, rolling it around in her mind. "Sounds good to me," she agreed.

"Ash it is then. How was your first day?"

Carol had almost forgotten all about her first day in the excitement over the kitten. "It was wonderful!" She gushed. "Hershel is such a kind man," she sighed.

Daryl pretended to be offended, "Hey now," he said.

Carol laughed and leaned closer to kiss him, mindful of the ball of fur between them. He responded to her instantly and she had to force herself to pull away after several minutes for air. "I've got some food and things for Ash in the truck. I'll run and get them and then I'm going to take a better look at that shiner of yours."

"I'm-"

Carol tsked, holding up one hand to stop him from saying what she already knew was coming. "Protest all you want. I'm still going to check."

Daryl sighed, his lips curving upwards in a soft smile, "Yes ma'am," he muttered softly.

...

Daryl watched Carol change, his body growing hard at the sight of her naked flesh playing peek-a-boo with him. He was kicked back on his bed contentedly, the kitten asleep in her cozy bed on the floor and his woman safe and sound in his room. She had fussed over him unnecessarily earlier, but he had let her because she wouldn't have left it alone otherwise. Besides, he wouldn't tell anyone, but he kind of liked it when she fussed over him. Occasionally Carol's eyes met his in the mirror above his dresser and it was driving him crazy.

His eyebrows perked when she didn't put on any pants and instead walked over to the bed in a t-shirt that just barely grazed her thighs. When she moved it flowed out enough to show him she had taken off her underwear. His throat went dry.

"What'cha doin' there?" He asked her curiously.

She climbed onto the bed, resting on her knees as she reached out to unbutton his pants. He sucked in a breath as her cool fingers grazed his stomach, the beginnings of an erection tenting his pants. He swallowed when she unzipped them and slowly inched her hand inside to wrap those same fingers around his hardening length. He lifted his hips into her hand with a soft groan of pleasure.

She flashed him a smile as she pulled out his cock and began to stroke it firmly. He watched with lust-filled eyes as she bent her head and opened her mouth, her lips enveloping him with their wet warmth.

"Fuck," he muttered.

He watched her shirt ride up as she worked him and he grabbed her by the waist, sliding her onto his chest. She met his eyes questioningly, but he only smiled at her and gestured for her to continue. She narrowed her eyes, but bent back over again to suck him. He let his palms slide flat over her ass and he pushed her shirt up so that he had an unhindered view. Without warning, he slid two fingers inside of her and she paused to moan, the vibrations it created on his flesh causing him to growl back at her.

He slid her body back further and leaned up, pressing his face against her so that he could taste her. She jerked in surprise, but she didn't stop. He knew she was doing this for him, but he couldn't let her go without seeing to her pleasure as well. And he knew that he wouldn't ever be able to resist the temptation of her so close to him.

He worked his tongue back and forth, up and down, alternating his strokes to match the intensity of her moans. He was close, but he wanted to get her there first. He worked one finger back into her, thrusting in and out as he increased his speed. Carol was panting hard now and he knew it was only a matter of time before she fell apart.

"Oh God," she released a husky whimper.

Her body began to shake and then she released him, throwing her head back on a long moan of pleasure. The image before him combined with the taste of the woman he had his mouth on sent him into his own orgasm and he came without her even touching him, his whole body going lax as he did so.

Carol moved off of him and gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry I had to move," she gestured to his stomach.

Daryl frowned slightly, "You don't ever have to apologize for me. And for the record, I love watchin' you fall apart knowin' that it was me who did it."

"I'll go grab you something to wipe that off with," she said.

He grabbed her hand before she could step too far and pulled her back to him, mindful of his sticky stomach. He cupped her face and drew her lips in to his for a slow simmering kiss. "I love you," he murmured.

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his, "I love you too."

...


	15. Chapter 15

"Where is that fuckin' cat?" Daryl hissed under his breath as he searched under the bed the next morning for a little ball of fur.

Carol was gone to work already and Daryl knew she had fed the cat and cuddled the shit out of it before leaving, but now the damn animal was no where to be found. She hadn't taken it to work with her so he knew it had to be around there somewhere. He hoped like hell the damn thing hadn't gotten outside somewhere. Carol would be devastated.

"Ash!" Daryl stepped into the hallway for the third time that morning and flipped on the light, chasing the shadows away. He began walking down the hallway towards the bathroom. "Here kitty," he coaxed.

Daryl stopped as Merle's door was thrown open and his brother stepped out, a black mass bundled in his arms. Merle seemed unaware that Daryl was standing there staring so Daryl leaned against the wall, crossing his legs as he took in the sight before him. He watched Merle stroke one finger over the kitten's back and the kitten stretched, purring happily. Merle bent over and set the kitten on the floor, giving her a little nudge towards Daryl's room. He stood up and his eyes met Daryl's which were twinkling in amusement.

"Keep yer damn ball o' hair in yer own damn room brother," Merle grumbled as he averted his eyes.

Daryl's grin broke free and he shook his head at Merle. "Look to me like you're gettin' sweet on her."

Merle scoffed, "Don't spout that bullshit at me this early in the mornin'. Sweet's for pussies." Merle brushed past him and headed for the kitchen, Ash galloping along behind his boots. Daryl laughed silently as he followed them. He knew Merle was full of shit, but he would let his brother live in denial for a bit longer if that's the way he wanted to play it.

Merle fixed himself a cup of coffee and tried his best to ignore the kitten who kept butting against his ankle and pawing the laces of his boot. "Gonna head into the office for a bit. Waitin' on a fax with some new leads for us. You comin' in? Could use the help."

Daryl nodded, "I'll be there, but it's gonna be a bit. I'm stopping at the jail first. Need to talk to Rick."

Merle's eyebrows lifted, "Oh? It's _Rick_ now?" He snorted.

Daryl glared at him, but didn't take the bait. He had more important things to worry about right now. Like where the hell that asshole ex-husband of Carol's was and why he had just disappeared all of a sudden. "Keep your eyes peeled for any info on Shane Walsh. Fucker is up to somethin'."

Merle nodded, his expression growing very serious. "Will do brother. Asshole couldn't be too far away if he's as infatuated as they say. We'll catch him sooner or later an' then he'll have some explainin' to do."

"Goddamn right he will," Daryl replied. "He can't hide forever."

...

" _You need to call me. We need to talk. I know what you're doing and it's not going to end well. This needs to stop_." Shane listened to the voicemail over and over again, drumming his fingers against his steering wheel as he watched her enter the building.

She was wearing pants that hugged her ass along with a shirt that showed off way more cleavage than he liked. She was dressed too provocatively and he knew it was because of that redneck. The fuck had her brainwashed. His Carol didn't dress like that, didn't act like this at all. They were changing her and they were doing it right before his eyes. Obviously they had underestimated him and now they were taunting him.

He hadn't even shown up to work and there were countless missed calls from Rick and his other coworkers wondering where he was. That couldn't be helped though. They would understand once he got Carol back. He couldn't work and make sure that she was safe at the same time. Once he got her back then things could go back to normal. The way they were supposed to be.

It was only a matter of time now. Tick tock.

...

Rick was out of his seat as soon as Daryl entered the building and he gestured to the secretary that he would handle it. He opened a side door for Daryl and wordlessly Daryl followed him back through a series of cubicles to an office in the back of the building. Neither of them said a word until Rick closed the door.

"Listen, I can't have you just showing up here like this. If anyone found out that I gave you that info about Shane-"

Daryl held up a hand, cutting Rick off mid-sentence, "Relax, Grimes. What's said here, stays here. But if there's somethin' going on that concerns Carol then I believe I have every right to know what it is."

Rick perched on the end of his desk, his arms crossed. "Are you and Carol...?" Rick raised a brow in question.

"I love her." Daryl's voice was firm. He didn't want any misinterpretations of his feelings about Carol. He had lost her once years ago over something stupid, but he wasn't losing her again. Especially not to some hotheaded jackass of a cop who thought his ex-wife was still in love with him. Daryl sat on the edge of one of the chairs in the office and eyed Rick. "I know this guy Shane is a friend of yours an' he's a cop, but that don't mean he's perfect. Carol is stayin' at my place now and if he comes around again, I need to know exactly what kind of man I'm dealin' with."

Rick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm afraid I can't tell you much. Shane and I haven't really talked since he and Carol divorced. He's been...different."

"Different, how?" Daryl pressed.

"Well he's always been a little bit of a jackass, but he's never been this disconnected from it all. When he was here, it's like he wasn't really _here._ You know what I mean?"

Daryl nodded, "He on drugs, you think?"

"I don't know," Rick said with a shrug.

"You're keepin' shit from me," Daryl stated.

Rick stood up from his desk and instantly Daryl was on his feet as well, the two of them almost bumping noses. "Listen, I'm putting my ass on the line here. I care about Carol, but this is my _job_ we're talking about. It's a matter of confidentiality," Rick hissed in a low voice.

Daryl narrowed his eyes, staring the other man down. "Yeah? Well what about Carol? Isn't she putting _her_ ass on the line here too? You think this is easy for any of us? That I don't worry when she's gone?" Daryl's chest bumped Rick's and Rick tilted his head to the side, his eyes hard and angry.

Finally Rick sighed and backed away a couple of paces. He ran his hands over his face wearily as he took a seat behind his desk. "Look, I care about Carol very much, don't doubt that I wouldn't do everything I could to help her. And that's you and me talking, not just me being an officer. If I wasn't invested in this I wouldn't be back here talking to you right now. If I say too much...if something gets leaked out that we're sharing information on this case then I'll be suspended and where would that leave us? You need me for information as much as I need you," Rick explained.

"Case? He a _case_ now?" Daryl watched Rick's expressions as he questioned him. Rick was holding something back and he needed to know what it was. Of course, he could always ask around to some of the shadier characters he and Merle knew from the streets and see what dirt he could dig up, but he doubted that anyone would know much about this as of yet. Daryl planted both palms on Rick's desk and leaned forward intently.

"There's a weapon missing from our evidence locker." Rick's voice was low, barely audible and Daryl listened carefully. "We don't know for sure yet, but there's some suspicion that Shane took it. He had access to it."

Daryl blew out a breath. This was serious and it was no longer just some crazy stalker playing childish games. If Shane had indeed taken a gun from the evidence locker then that could only mean that he planned to use it at some point. The thought of that sick prick using a gun on Carol...Daryl swallowed hard, emotions from all over threatening to consume him.

Rick met his eye and the worry creasing his features resonated through Daryl. "You need to be careful here, Daryl. We're considering Shane to be unstable. Right now we're keeping this under the radar because we don't want to spook him off, but we're looking for him. If he does have that gun then that means he's considering using it. You need to watch your back."

Daryl nodded and stuck out his hand to Rick who stared at in surprise. After a few moments, he reached out and shook it, his grasp firmly matching Daryl's. an understanding was passed between the two men and Daryl placed his hand on the doorknob.

"It's not my back I'm worried about, Rick." With one last glance over his shoulder, Daryl left the room, walking steadily back towards the front. The moment he stepped outside he sucked in a lungful of air, suddenly wanting to be sick.

Shane wanted Carol, that much he knew. He had known that all along, but now the situation was heightened, the gameplan changing into something far more serious. Shane wasn't just messing with someone he cared about, he was messing with someone he _loved_.

And Daryl wasn't about to lose her again.

...


	16. Chapter 16

...

Daryl pulled up at Hershel's office, parking his bike near the door. He intended to pick Carol up from work today as a surprise because he missed her. He found himself just wanting to be with her, no matter what it was they did even if they did nothing...he just wanted to be near her. Today was even worse than usual, his anxiety over Shane only fueling his need to be near Carol at all times. He didn't want to smother her, but he didn't want to run the risk of anything bad happening either.

He stepped inside of the building and almost immediately hear her voice. He glanced over at the front desk to find her chatting with an elderly woman who was holding a small dog in her arms. Carol was cooing at the dog, stroking him softly on top of his small head all the while listening to the woman chatter in her ear. He let his eyes trail over her reassuringly and she glanced up, her gaze locking with his own. She smiled then and he felt his own lips curve in response even as he felt the familiar punch to his gut. Even after all this time she still managed to take his breath away.

He lingered near the magazines, not really wanting to sit down in one of the waiting room chairs. He had too much energy running through his bloodstream to sit still at the moment. He absently picked up a magazine and thumbed through the pages as he waited.

"Why, do my eyes deceive me or is Daryl Dixon standing in my office?" Hershel Greene's voice boomed over his shoulder.

Daryl closed the magazine, sliding it back into it's slot and chuckled at the older man. "Might be the eyes," he replied smoothly. "Heard they get worse as ya get older."

Hershel chuckled and clapped a large hand onto Daryl's shoulder affectionately. He leaned into him as if he were sharing something top secret, "I may be getting on in years son, but my eyes are still as sharp as ever. The trick to staying young and vibrant is a good woman." Hershel turned and glanced pointedly in Carol's direction, Daryl following his gaze. "But then again, I'm assuming you already know that." Hershel winked at him and Daryl shook his head in amusement.

"How's she doin'?" He asked.

"She's doing just fine, better than I could have ever asked for even. I told her that I'm going to have to give her a raise because of how hard she works. I can't have one of my best workers getting tempted by better offers elsewhere," Hershel replied. "She's got a way with animals and people too. Good woman."

"What are you gettin' at old man?" Daryl asked in amusement.

Hershel lifted his brows, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. "Just making observations," he mused.

Daryl chuckled, "Mhm. You don't have anything to worry about. She ain't going anywhere."

They both stopped talking as the last patient left and Carol headed in their direction. She smiled warmly at him as she stepped into his side, his arm sliding around her easily as his lips grazed her forehead.

"I wasn't expecting you," Carol said.

He raised a brow teasingly, "Should I go?"

She snorted and pinched his side, making him chuckle. "I didn't say it was a bad thing," she responded. Her eyes searched his inquisitively and he knew that she could see the underlying tension, but she didn't comment on it in front of Hershel.

"Thought we might grab a bite to eat before heading home," he offered.

She nodded enthusiastically, a blatant reminder for him of how they hadn't gone out together in a while since the whole mess with Shane. "Sounds wonderful," she replied. "Would you care to join us Hershel?"

Hershel studied them both with a smile of amusement. "That's a mighty generous offer, but if I don't come home for dinner, Annette will have my hide." His eyes twinkled with merriment. "She's always threatening to trade me in for a dog."

Carol laughed, "Well in that case, you better hurry home so she's not waiting long. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You two kids have fun," Hershel called out and Daryl winked at her.

...

"Are you ready to tell me what's got you looking so bothered now?" Carol asked as she took a bite of her burger.

"I talked to Rick this mornin'." He picked over his food, his expression carefully blank, but she could read him better than anyone so she waited him out. Finally his eyes lifted to hers, "No one still hasn't talked to Shane yet."

She swallowed her food slowly, letting that statement digest for a moment. A part of her knew that it wasn't likely Shane would be back to work anytime soon, if at all. When they had been married he hadn't ever missed work. He had enjoyed his job...or so it had seemed.

"What else?" Carol asked softly, sensing that Daryl wasn't quite finished.

"There's been a new development...one of the gun's from the evidence locker is missing."

Carol dropped the remains of her food onto her plate, her stomach protesting anymore at the moment. She felt sick and almost lightheaded. She still couldn't believe that _this_ Shane, the Shane she had been married to once were one and the same. And now he had a gun? In her mind, that meant that he was considering on using it at one point, but for what? To hurt her? Daryl? She pushed her plate away and Daryl grabbed her hands, covering them with his own.

"I'm sorry," she breathed.

"I'm only tellin' you this because I don't want there to be any secrets between us. I love you, Carol and I'm not gonna let that bastard hurt you."

"But what if he hurts _you_? We have to find him Daryl..."

He nodded, "We will. He may be a cop, but he'll slip up eventually. And the only way he can hurt me is by hurting you and I'm not lettin' that happen."

"Do you think he's on drugs?" She played through several possibilities in her head, but truthfully she had no idea what was going through Shane's head.

Daryl shrugged, "Possibility...whatever it is, we'll figure it out." He squeezed her hands reassuringly, "It's gonna be okay." His eyes sought her own and they locked gazes.

She summoned up a smile for him, but it didn't quite meet her eyes. It was crazy how much she loved this man. With the recent information though, all she wanted to do was to go home with him, curl up in his arms, and forget everything else existed...even if for only a little while.

"Take me home Daryl," Carol requested softly.

He nodded, "Alright, let's go."

"I need to stop at the restroom first then I'll be right out," she said.

She pressed a kiss to his cheek and slipped down the aisle to the restrooms located in the back of the restaurant. She felt nauseous and she bent over one of the toilets, fighting the wave that washed over her. This wasn't supposed to happen, things weren't supposed to be like this. She had Daryl back in her life now, but it was hard to stay focused on him with this hanging over her head. It made her angry that Shane was robbing her of her happiness. It wasn't fair and she pressed her lips together in irritation.

The nausea passed slowly by after several moments. She walked to the sink and splashed cold water onto her face, patting it dry with a paper towel. Staring at herself in the mirror she realized the scarf she had been wearing was gone. She must have left it back at the booth. She exited the bathroom and walked back to their table. Daryl was leaning against his bike outside, smoking a cigarette and staring off into the distance.

In a hurry to get to him, she picked up her pace. She reached the table quickly only to find both sides of the booth empty...no scarf. She frowned and tried to remember if she had brought it with her. Had she left it at work? She rubbed her temples tiredly. She wasn't going to stress over it today and she supposed if she had misplaced it then it really didn't matter all that much.

She left the restaurant and Daryl smiled at her, holding out his hand to help her on the bike. Climbing on she wrapped her arms snugly around him, squeezing him briefly before loosening her grip. He trailed his fingertips over her hands in response and she nestled into him comfortingly. She knew that he had said he wouldn't let anything bad happen, but she couldn't help but worry. She knew he had a lot on his mind lately and that he was tired. Judging from what she had heard so far she also knew that Shane would likely use that to his advantage. He might hurt Daryl and she couldn't let that happen.

She _wouldn't_ lose him.

...

He replayed the voicemail he had received several hours ago over and over, trying to figure out his next course of action. He had memorized the message now, having listened to it so many times.

_"Shane. You need to get in touch with me. I need to hear your voice so that I know you're okay and not doing something irrational. Remember our agreement. Don't make me worry. If I don't hear from you in the next few hours then you'll leave me no choice, but to come there myself. Call me."_

Shane deleted the message, smirking at his reflection in the rearview mirror. He wasn't a child and the last thing he needed was someone trying to parent him and tell him what to do. Carol was his wife for fuck's sake.

 _HIS_ wife...no one else's.

She needed him and he had vowed to protect her forever. He wasn't so sure about her, but he had meant every word of those vows. He knew that Rick and the others were looking for him, playing it off like they were concerned or some bullshit like that. He knew better.

They had likely discovered the missing gun by now and discussing what they could do about it. He knew they would be looking for him and laying low about it in an effort not to scare him off. He wasn't stupid, he'd been on loads of cases in his lifetime and he knew how they operated. Time was running out and he needed to talk to Carol, to make her understand that he only wanted what was best for her. And he needed to do it before everyone else stuck their nose in it and ruined everything. He could get her to understand if she would just give him a chance.

His phone buzzed again and he glanced down at the screen.

_Rick._

Growling in frustration he ripped the battery out of the back, tearing at the small electronic device in anger. He tossed it out of the window and put the car in reverse, backing up until he heard the crunch indicating he had run it over. He drove forward and hit it once more for good measure, stopping once to glance in his side mirrors. Satisfied that it was destroyed, he hit the gas, screeching tires as he drove off.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly sensitive material this chapter...

...

"Hey, you okay?" Daryl asked her as they walked up the porch steps at his place.

Carol nodded, flashing him a smile that she didn't entirely feel. "I think I'm just tired...the stress from everything and all is getting to me I think."

He stopped her from entering the house, placing his hand over hers on the doorknob. Tugging her to his hard body he pressed his lips softly to hers, coaxing a response from her. She sighed into his kiss, allowing herself to forget everything but this perfect man standing right in front of her. She loved him so much. They pulled apart and she leaned her forehead against his chest briefly, drawing strength from him. Inhaling deeply she stood up straight and gazed at him lovingly.

"You're too good to me, Daryl," she murmured.

He shook his head, "Don't say things like that. You deserve it all and more."

The smile that graced her face this time was genuine and she grabbed his hand in hers as they entered the house. Merle was sitting on the couch, his boots propped onto the coffee table, his head having fallen back and his mouth parted as he snored softly. Daryl snorted and raised his boot, intending to kick one of Merle's when Carol stopped him with a look.

"Daryl!" She admonished quietly, "Don't you wake him up...he looks exhausted."

Daryl rolled his eyes, but she could see that he was studying his brother now. Merle really did look as if he hadn't been sleeping too well and Carol wondered if everything was okay with him. Daryl didn't seem to know any more than she did about what was going on with Merle so she didn't ask. She just hoped that it didn't have anything to do with her situation. She would hate to know that he was losing sleep over her even though she knew that he would never admit it.

She was figuring Merle out the longer she stayed with the brothers. He came across as gruff and sarcastic, but deep down he had a big heart. He just chose not to let it show most times even though sometimes it shown through anyway despite his efforts. For all their bickering the two brothers had a tight bond and she could tell that they loved each other very much. She was so thankful to have them both in her life.

"I'm going to go change into something more comfortable," Carol whispered to Daryl. His eyebrows lifted suggestively and she laughed, stopping his pursuit after her with one hand. "Maybe later?" She offered. "Right now I just want to cuddle up in your arms and forget it all."

He pretended to pout, but then nodded, "Take your time. I'll be here."

She squeezed his hand and headed to their room. _Their room._ It felt weird saying it, but it felt true as well. She really didn't think of it as just Daryl's any longer, but both of theirs. It was amazing to her how quickly she had incorporated herself into their life and vice versa.

She quickly peeled off her clothing after shutting the door, stripping off the layers and selecting a pair of comfortable sweat pants along with one of Daryl's t-shirts. Slipping it over her head it hung down to her thighs and she lifted the material to her face, breathing in his scent that still clung to it deeply.

It occurred to her then that she hadn't seen or heard Ash since she had walked into the house and she frowned as she searched the room for the unmistakable ball of black fur. The kitten usually preferred Daryl's pillow and when she didn't find her there, Carol fell to her knees to look under the bed. No Ash there either.

"Ash! Here kitty," Carol called out softly.

She waited, but there was no response to her call and she opened the bedroom door thinking that maybe Merle had seen the kitten. She almost ran smack into Daryl as she opened the door and he immediately sensed that something was wrong upon taking in her worried expression. His features hardened and he looked over her shoulder almost as if he expected something or someone to be in the room with her. She couldn't really blame him because this business with Shane was making them all a little crazy.

"What's wrong?" His hands settled onto her arms and he stroked his thumbs over her skin soothingly.

Carol shook her head, "Nothing yet. Just looking for Ash and she wasn't on your pillow or under the bed."

Daryl's features relaxed somewhat, "Oh. She's probably curled up somewhere near Merle and we just ain't seen her yet. No need to worry."

Carol nodded, but she wasn't entirely convinced. She had this bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was very wrong. She headed down the hallway and shook Merle gently on his shoulder to wake him. He jumped to his feet instantly, his eyes alert and searching for danger. Carol took a step back and he blinked at her, his eyes focusing on her and then behind her where Daryl stood.

"Somethin' happen?" Merle asked in a gravelly voice laced thick with sleep.

"I can't find Ash," Carol said. "Have you seen her?"

Merle stared at her for a moment with a frown. "Nah, ain't seen her since earlier this mornin'. She's probably hidin' somewhere sleeping like the lil' shit that she is," he replied.

Carol glanced back at Daryl, gnawing at her lip with her teeth in worry. Daryl nodded his head in understanding. He knew that they weren't getting anything else done until that kitten was found.

"Do you think you can check to see if she's in your room?" Carol asked Merle.

He paused in the middle of a stretch and she saw his eyes flick to Daryl then back to her again. "Why don'tcha have yourself a lil' seat right here darlin'. She'll turn up-"

"No!" Carol interrupted him loudly and Merle was temporarily knocked speechless. "I am _not_ resting until she's found and don't either of you _dare_ tell me to calm down. I'm on the edge of my sanity right now and I won't be held responsible for my actions should you cross me the wrong way." Carol hadn't intended on all of that spewing forth, but the second she had opened her mouth it had just happened and now she felt badly for it. What was going on with her? She had just snapped at Merle and it wasn't even his fault. He had just been trying to help for crying out loud.

Daryl was next to her suddenly and he rubbed her arms in a comforting gesture. "We're gonna find her, okay?" He lifted her chin so that her eyes were locked to his and she nodded.

"I'm jus' gonna go check my room for the lil' sh- cat and I'll holler if I find her," Merle muttered as he brushed past them for his room.

"I'll go check outside and see if somehow she managed to run out. I know how sneaky she can be sometimes," Carol said.

"I'll check around in here. She's probably just hidin' like Merle said," Daryl commented.

Carol didn't respond as she headed for the back door. She knew it was unlikely that Ash had disappeared outside, but she needed some fresh air and to clear her head for a few minutes. Her emotions were all over the place and it was so unlike her.

She yanked open the door and stepped out, sucking in a deep lungful of air as she did so. She shut the door behind her and took one step, her foot sliding slightly as she did so. Glancing down with a frown, her features twisted into an expression of horror as she took in the scene before her. A small pool of blood coated the step and Carol followed it to the tangled mess of mottled black fur.

And then she screamed.

...

He pulled the shiny black Sedan over at the next rest stop and unfolded his long legs from the vehicle, taking a brief moment to stretch. He had been on the road for a while, steadily dialing Walsh's number only to have it go straight to voicemail each time. He had left him countless voicemails since then, but he knew now that it was unlikely that Shane was getting them. Chances were, he had gotten fed up with the calls and now he didn't know what to think. If he couldn't talk to Shane then he couldn't fix it and on that same note he also didn't know what in the hell was going on.

He didn't like not knowing what was going on. That usually meant that something bad was happening. He hadn't spent twenty years in this profession not to know a thing or two by now.

He squinted into the bright sunlight and reached for his sunshades, sliding them on over his eyes as he lit himself a cigarette. He used to smoke when he was a teenager, but had dropped the habit long ago and just recently picked it up again.

He was in deep shit here and he had to find Walsh soon before something happened. His ass was hanging in the line of fire here as well and innocent people could be hurt. He should have known better than to listen to Walsh's excuses, but foolishly he had allowed himself to trust the man and look at where that had gotten him. Never again.

He took one last draw from the cigarette and climbed into his vehicle, flicking the stray butt out of the window after cranking the car. It was time to get this handled...time to find Shane and do what needed to be done.

Do what he should have done two and a half years ago.

...


	18. Chapter 18

...

The sound of Carol's terrified scream was perhaps the most heart-stopping sound that Daryl had ever heard. He couldn't even remember now how he had managed to reach her so fast, but he had and the sight that greeted him had threatened to bring the contents of their dinner back to surface.

Pulling her away as quick as possible, he tucked her small frame against his own, her tears coming immediately afterward. Her sobs tore at his heart and he swallowed down his own wave of emotion over the kitten. Merle entered the kitchen seconds later, his eyes full of questions as they searched Daryl's face. Daryl nodded toward the door, looking away as Merle took a look.

"Fuck me," Merle muttered softly.

Carol's sobs increased and Daryl tightened his hold on her, wishing like hell she hadn't seen that. They all stood there in a stunned silence and Daryl felt his anger being to mount. This was going too far. He knew without a doubt that Shane was behind this and he intended to put a stop to it. He met Merle's eye over the top of Carol's head and saw the same look of fierce determination reflected in his brother.

The feeling of something nudging against his leg had him glancing down sharply with a frown. Ash let out a small meow and rubbed her head against his boot, purring softly. Daryl sucked in a breath and gently nudged her. "Carol..."

She slowly lifted her head and followed his gaze down to the black kitten who was perfectly alive and healthy.

"I'll be damned," Merle muttered.

Carol scooped the kitten into her arms and hugged her tightly to her chest, murmuring softly into her fur. Daryl rubbed her shoulders soothingly, a sense of unending relief flowing through him. He was relieved that the kitten wasn't harmed and had apparently just gotten really good at hiding for naps. However, there was still a mess of slaughtered remains lying on their back doorstep. It may not have been Ash, but the message was clear to him that Shane was raising the stakes. It sickened him to know that the man was out there and had obviously been as close as their backyard. He would go to see Rick again in the morning, but he wasn't waiting on the cops to do anything. He would find Shane and he would end this, once and for all.

...

"I'll be fine, Daryl. Hershel is here and there's always someone walking in here with their pets," Carol said.

Daryl sighed as he straddled the bike between two legs, "I don't like it," he grumbled. "I've got my phone. If you need anything-"

Carol leaned forward and kissed the words from his lips, running her hands over his shirt soothingly. "You've already told me. I promise to call you if anything happens. I don't need you to worry about me all day."

"It's my job to worry about you. Wouldn't do it if I didn't care," he explained with a somewhat hurt expression.

Carol's heart fluttered in her chest and she wound her arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly. "I love that you're so protective over me and the you care about me so much," she whispered. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

His breath caught as his eyes flared with a heat that made her grin and want to beg him to take her home. They hadn't spent much time together intimately and she missed connecting with him in that way. With everything that had been happening, they always seemed to be too exhausted to do much of anything.

Daryl jerked his head towards the building, "Get on in there before I change my mind an' take you home," he warned with a smirk.

Carol stroked one fingertip over her lip thoughtfully. "On second thought- " She laughed and he shook his head, a smile breaking across his face. It made her feel better to see his smile. She had missed that sexy smile of his.

"I'll be here to pick you up," he called after her as she walked to the door. She turned and waved, blowing him a kiss once before disappearing inside the building, making sure to lock the door behind her. She listened to Daryl fire up his bike and he let it idle several minutes before finally driving off, taking a piece of her heart with him like he always did.

"Carol? That you dear?" Hershel Greene called from his office.

She strolled over to his open doorway and grinned at him fondly as he fussed with the computer on his desk. Shaking her head at him, she walked around the desk and looked over his shoulder then hit several keys, pulling up the information that he was searching for. He blinked at the screen and then sighed, shaking his head with a half-hearted chuckle.

"I miss the days when everything was on paper. Technology doesn't agree with age," Hershel said.

"That's what you hired me for," Carol teased. "Someone's got to look after you while you're here."

"There is that," Hershel conceded. "When Andrew gets here, I've got to run out to make a house call. It won't take me too long..." Hershel furrowed his brow, worry creasing his features. Andrew was the veterinary technician that helped Hershel out when he was otherwise busy. Carol didn't see him too much, but the times she did he was nice to her.

"Don't worry about me," Carol responded. "I'll be fine here."

"I won't be gone long and you know how to reach me if you need anything."

Carol nodded, "Yes. I've had this conversation with Daryl just a few minutes ago actually. I'm fine. Andrew will be here as will patients in and out all day so take your time."

"You're a stubborn woman...remind me a lot of Annie when we were in our prime years. She was as stubborn as a mule with temper to match," Hershel smiled with his memory. "I knew I had to spend the rest of my life with her the moment I saw her."

Her heart melted and she immediately thought of Daryl. "I understand completely."

He smiled knowingly, "I know you do my dear...I know you do."

...

He pulled the black Sedan up to the police station, the first place on his list to stop. He doubted very highly that Shane would be here considering the unanswered phone calls, but it was the best place he could think of to start. Maybe someone would give him some information as to Shane's whereabouts. At this point anything would be of help.

Adjusting the collar of his button down shirt, he glanced at himself in the rearview mirror to make sure that he looked decent enough. This whole thing was wearing on him and he wanted nothing more than to see Shane receive the help that he so desperately needed. No more excuses this time. He would not let Shane manipulate him again.

Grabbing his briefcase, he stepped out of the car and strode for the front door, steeling himself for whatever he might find inside. The station was quiet and a quick glance around showed him that there was only one person that he could actually see in the building - a receptionist at the front counter who appeared rather bored. He flashed her a very polite and professional smile, but didn't receive the same in return as she studied him curiously.

"Can I help you?"

He cleared his throat, "Yes. I'm looking for Officer Shane Walsh, please."

"And you are...?" She raised one perfectly arched brow in question.

"An old friend," he offered.

"Mhm. Well, Mr. Walsh is no longer employed here."

He closed his eyes for the briefest of seconds. He had expected this, but it still made him uneasy. He wondered if there was a way to get more information out of the young woman without appearing too nosy. He didn't have high hopes though considering the way that she was staring at him.

He leaned against the counter, "That's odd. I just spoke with him last week. Do you know how long he's been gone or where I might reach him? It's imperative that I speak with him."

She shook her head. "I'm not allowed to give out that kind of information sir," she said loudly. He sighed and turned to walk away, but she reached out a hand to touch him on the arm. "If you ask me," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "you don't really want to find that man. He's gone off the deep end for sure. Got a thing for his ex-wife."

He listened, mulling the woman's words over carefully. "Like a stalker?" He whispered back, feeding into the woman's obvious need to gossip.

Her eyes brightened and she glanced around to ensure they were still alone before nodding. "Yes! An obsessed stalker! Exactly that. The man's hung up on her bad. My advice to you is to stay far away from that one before-" She paused as the phone on the desk rang and held up one finger to him.

He leaned against the counter, thinking about her statements until several words piqued his interest and he tuned in to her side of the conversation.

"Rick is out on patrol, but I can radio him. Oh my God, is Officer Walsh there? Keep the doors locked sweetie, I'm calling Rick in. Hang tight." She hung up and dialed another number. "Rick, we've got an issue out at Hershel Greene's vet office...Yes, Carol's fine. She's got the door locked, but he won't leave...Yes sir, I'll stand by...Thanks." She hung up the phone and turned back to the counter, ready with some new gossip for this strange, but intriguing man who had entered the station...only he wasn't there. Peering over the counter she looked around the lobby, but it was empty.

"That's strange," she murmured to the empty room. "Strange indeed."

 


	19. Chapter 19

...

Carol stared out into the parking lot through the window once more, just to be sure that she wasn't hallucinating. She wasn't.

He was really there...standing in the parking lot and leaning against his vehicle like he had all the time in the world, his eyes trained onto the building. She had just placed the call to the sheriff's office so hopefully it wouldn't be long before Rick pulled up and took over. Hopefully before Shane decided to do something stupid.

There was a soft crash from somewhere in the back and her heart sped up for half of a second before she remembered Andrew. She wasn't here alone. Relief flooded through her body and she sped down the hallway, glancing in the rooms for the man. She didn't know much about him because she wasn't really around him much while she was here, but he seemed nice enough. He was quiet and Hershel said he was still fairly new to the job, but she didn't care as long as she wasn't in this alone.

Andrew stepped out of the last room just as she was about to glance inside, his abrupt presence startling her so much that she nearly fell backward. He frowned, his busy eyebrows drawing together almost comically.

"Sorry," he murmured as he reached out a hand to steady her. She waved him off as she fought down the panic that threatened to consume her.

"It's okay," she said. "Actually, I-" She paused as she noticed the syringe gripped in his hand that dangled by his side. Licking her lips nervously, she took a cautious step backward. "Andrew?"

His eyes slowly slid to hers, the near blackness of them making her whole body feel cold. He lifted the syringe and stared at it, almost as if he had forgotten that it was even there to begin with. He let out a soft sigh, "I really didn't want to do this. I tried to tell him that this was a bad idea, but he's very insistent." Andrew took a step forward and Carol mirrored his actions by taking a step backward. "You understand that I don't want to do this, right? But I can't _not_ do it. He's going to ruin my life if I don't."

Carol swallowed, quickly trying to piece everything together in her brain. "Who? Who's going to ruin your life Andrew?"

He paused and held the syringe up to the light, tapping on the end once. "Shane." His black eyes pierced hers once more and Carol took another step backward. His eyes narrowed, but they were interrupted by the back door being thrown open and Shane's large form filling the doorway. Carol took the opportunity of distraction to run. Not having time to make it all the way up front and unlock the door, she slipped into one of the rooms, twisting the lock behind her. Instantly the door vibrated and the knob twisted almost violently.

"Carol," Shane's voice traveled through the thickness of the door. "Open up baby, it's me."

"Go to hell Shane." Her voice came out surprisingly more steady than she actually felt at that moment.

She heard his huff through the door, "Not without you baby. I need you by my side...partners for life, remember?"

Carol squeezed her eyes shut momentarily, his words recalling his wedding vows to her. She shook her head, rolled her eyes and blocked out his words as she searched for anything to use as a weapon. Most of the drawers left her coming up empty-handed and the top cabinet only held cotton balls, gauze, and q-tips. Shane's voice continued to travel through the door, his tone almost soothing as he tried to manipulate her with his words. She pushed him from her mind as her eyes landed on the container attached to the wall decorated with multiple warning labels.

_Used needles._

Carol grabbed a pair of gloves from the box by the sink and slipped them on, carefully prying at the lid until it began to give. There still wasn't enough room for her to stick her hand inside, but she kept going, not willing to give up and be a victim.

She could hear whispered voices outside of the door...Andrew and Shane. They were plotting and she couldn't believe that she had been working here with that man, not knowing that Shane had managed to corrupt the guy. Poor Hershel...they had all been fooled. Thinking of Hershel made her chest tighten nervously. What if he came back early? What if Shane did something to Hershel? She couldn't bear the thought of anything bad happening to the sweet man.

...

"He's around here somewhere. We'll find him brother," Merle clapped a hand on Daryl's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly.

Daryl just nodded, chewing on his lip as he tried to figure out where the fucker was hiding. He had driven by Shane's house multiple times, but there had been no sign of anyone having been there in a while. He had checked the driveway for fresh tracks himself and the windows that he was able to peer into had shown no signs of life. Deep down he had known that Shane wouldn't be so stupid as to hide in his house though. That would have been one of the first places that anyone would have looked for him.

"I can't just sit here," he said suddenly. "I've got to be movin'. Don't feel right." His phone began to vibrate in his pocket, the ringer blaring loudly as he fished it out. Seeing Rick's number flash across the screen, he quickly answered it. "Yeah?"

"He's there with Carol. Get there _now_." Rick's words pierced a hole of fear within Daryl's heart and he cut the phone even as he began striding for the door.

Merle was instantly on alert upon seeing the tension coming from is brother. "Daryl?" It was one of the few times that Merle had ever called him by his given name, but Daryl had more important things to worry about at the moment.

"Carol." It was all he had time to spit out before he was across the yard and climbing onto his bike, kicking the engine to life. Merle was two steps behind him, knowing without question that he was needed. Daryl didn't wait for Merle before taking off, knowing that his brother would catch up. He had to get to Carol before that asshole did something to her...before he hurt her. Because if Shane hurt her then Daryl would kill him...he was sure of it. Carol was everything to him and you didn't harm someone that important to a Dixon and live to see another day. His grip tightened on the handlebars, his expression intense with concentration and a hint of fear as he pushed the throttle wide open, urging the bike as fast as it would go.

He hoped like hell that Rick was already there or at least nearby because it would take Daryl a good fifteen minutes to get to her. It was killing him not to be closer and he knew that he never should have left her. He had underestimated Shane's stupidity for showing up in public places. He had thought that Carol would be safe there...especially with Hershel around.

Hershel. Had Shane done something to Hershel? Cold anger seeped into his bones, every whir of the tires on the highway only adding to his anxiety. In his mirrors he saw Merle right on his tail, his expression just as intense. He was more grateful to his brother in that moment than he had been in a long time. A sinister smile touched his lips. Shane better pray that he hadn't touched a hair on Carol's head because hell hath no fury like two very pissed off Dixon brothers.

...

Carol lined up the used syringes, careful not to touch the needles. Most were empty as she had predicted, but a couple had a small amount of fluid still in them and she kept those to the side. She would use whatever means necessary to take them out before she let them touch her. She just had to hang on a little longer. The door shook again and then she heard the sound of a drill and it made her skin grow ice cold.

They were taking the door off of the hinges.

A loud crash sounded from somewhere inside of the building and the drilling stopped. There were more voices and Carol strained to hear who they belonged to. She thought she heard Rick and she pressed her ear against the door, listening carefully. The door shook again and she heard an unfamiliar voice shouting and then Rick's unmistakable voice in the distance. She almost sagged with relief.

Almost.

Seconds later the door shuddered once more and the top hinge came undone. She yelped and grabbed at the needles, tucking them ever so carefully into the back of her pants. She was taking a risk, but it was the only place she could stick them where she had easy access if necessary. And she had a feeling that it would be necessary. The door continued to shake and move, Shane's face appearing in the gap where the door was hanging loose, his expression fierce and wild.

"I'm comin' for you Carol!" He yelled.

"Give it up Shane! I'm not letting you leave this building with her!" Rick shouted in the background.

"You shoot me and Andrew shoots him," Shane yelled in reply. "Not a good idea to put an innocent civilian at risk, _Rick_."

The door finally gave away and Shane barreled inside even as Carol tried to scramble behind the examination table. He grabbed her roughly, his fingers bruising her arm as he gripped her tightly. She winced at the grip, but allowed him to drag her outside of the room.

"God, you don't know how bad it kills me inside to treat you like this baby, but you just wouldn't listen. Why can't you understand that I'm doing this for you? For _us_?" He emphasized, his eyes darting around like crazy. Carol had never seen him like this before.

Her eyes fell on Rick as she was pulled out into the hallway. She saw that Andrew had a gun aimed at a strange man's head and Rick had a gun aimed towards Andrew or maybe it was at Shane, she couldn't really tell. The sound of engine's roaring had an overwhelming sense of relief rushing through her. She knew that sound. _Daryl_.

Behind her Shane tensed and she knew that he was wary of Daryl and Merle. And he had every right to be. If Daryl was even remotely as protective as he had been when he had dropped her off this morning then they had all better be worried.

"Shane." The strange man with a gun to his head twisted in Andrew's arms to peer at Shane. "You need to calm down and breathe. Realize what you are doing and the consequences that will result from this. It won't end well if you harm Carol. You love her, remember? That isn't how we treat people that we love," the man explained in a calm voice.

Behind her, Carol felt Shane bristle at the man's words, but he didn't release his grip on her. Carol didn't know who the man was, but it was apparent that he knew Shane and he must know something about her as well.

"You've got no business here Jenner. We completed my sessions. I'm done," Shane spit out.

The man - _Jenner_ , didn't seem to be deterred by Shane's words at all. "If it concerns you then it is my business. I haven't fully released you Shane. It was only a tentative release, a test to see if you were ready. You're obviously not ready. But that's okay, just let her go and we can work on this. We can talk this out like usual...get you back on your medicine and back on the right track to success. We can still fix this."

Shane twitched, "No."

Carol could tell he wasn't quite as sure of himself as he had been mere moments ago, but she was dragged from her thoughts as Merle Dixon strode through the front door of the office, two more cops following behind him. There was no sign of Daryl, but Carol knew she had heard his bike so he had to be there somewhere. Where was he?

Then she knew. There was the slightest breeze behind her and Carol knew that Daryl had snuck around back. Shane loosened his grip on one of her arms as Jenner began talking again, effectively distracting Shane. Carol swallowed and then inched her hand behind her, feeling for the syringes. Moving as fast as she dared, she pulled them free of the waist of her pants and then jabbed them both into Shane's belly as hard as she possibly could.

In his surprise he released her and then there were shouts all around as Daryl pounced on him, his fist connecting with Shane's face loudly. A shot rang out and Carol ducked only to see that it had been Rick, disarming Andrew of his gun by shooting him in the shoulder. Chaos ensued afterward and Carol could barely keep up with what was going on as Andrew was arrested. Merle stood next to Daryl, watching his brother with an expression of amusement. To Carol's surprise, Rick walked over slowly and took his time pulling his cuffs free as if giving Daryl extra time to release his fury on Shane.

Finally Rick looked at Merle, "Think you can pull him off?"

Merle chuckled and kicked Daryl's boot, sidestepping a punch that flailed in his direction as a result. "Goddamn brother, don't kill the bastard. Carol's alright, but she needs ya."

All of the fight seemed to leave Daryl at his brother's words and he pulled himself reluctantly away from Shane. Carol's eyes widened as she took in Shane's bloody face and apparent broken nose. Before Rick could drag him to his feet, Carol reared back and kicked him swiftly in the balls. He groaned and curled into a ball before Daryl wrapped his arms around her and pulled her away from it all.

His strong arms carried her away from the madness and down the hallway where they had breathing room. He peered at her, his hands running soothingly over her skin as he searched for any bruises. His fingers coasted over her arms and he growled low in his throat at the imprints Shane's fingers had left behind. She pulled free of his grasp and launched herself into his arms, her grip as tight as physically possible. He returned her embrace, his breath warm at her ear.

"Scared the shit out of me," he whispered fearfully. "Never been that scared in my life."

"Scared me too," she admitted. "I'm so glad you're here. I knew you'd come."

"Christ Carol, of course I would come. Don't you know how much I love you? If anything happened to you I-" His voice choked off and he buried his face into her neck, inhaling her sweet scent.

She rubbed her hands over his cheeks soothingly, "But it didn't. I'm here and I'm okay...everything's okay."

"I love you," he whispered fiercely.

Carol's eyes welled with emotion, "I love you too."

"Break it up yuppies," Merle chimed as he stepped down the hallway. "Two dickheads been arrested," he said, indicating Andrew and Shane. His eyes shifted to Carol. "Turns out, your lil' ex there's been seeing a psychiatrist for his craziness. Had himself an arsenal of pills he was s'posed to be takin' but he quit takin' them. That's when he hopped on board the crazy train." Merle wiggled his eyebrows for emphasis on the crazy.

"Oh my God," Carol breathed out. "I had no idea his issues ran that deep." She shivered at the thought.

Daryl's arm tightened around her, "Crazy bastard."

"Yep. Jenner said he's been tryin' to get in touch with Walsh for a while, but he's been avoidin' him. Jenner gave him the benefit of the doubt cause he thought the bastard was doin' better at first but then he got worried when he did get to talk to him. Crazy shit brother," Merle said.

"You got that right," Daryl muttered as Rick headed in their direction.

"Carol, the EMS want to check you out," Rick said softly. "Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head, "I'm fine, really."

"It's protocol so I'm gonna have to ask you to humor me and do it anyway," he said. "I know you're ready to get out of here."

"Hershel!" Carol gasped. "Is Hershel okay?"

Rick nodded, "He's fine. I called him earlier and told him to stay away until I let him know that it was safe. He wasn't too happy about that...was worried about you and what Daryl might do to Shane." Rick chuckled lightly.

Daryl shifted, "Yeah well, if you need to lock me up for it then go ahead. I'll serve my time proudly."

"Nah, wrote it up as self-defense. No one objected to it and the officers will testify for you if necessary," Rick explained.

Merle clapped Rick on the back, "Might just have to change my opinion on ya officer. Good call." He wrapped an arm around Rick's shoulders and steered him away down the hallway.

Daryl grabbed onto Carol's hand tightly, "Come on, let's go get you checked out so we can go home."

She snuggled into his side, drawing strength from his presence. "Home...I like the sound of that. Yes, let's go home."

...


	20. Epilogue

_**4 Months Later...** _

Carol stood in front of the floor length mirror in the bedroom and studied herself with a tilt of her head unaware of Daryl's presence filling the doorway behind her. She tugged at her bra with a sigh and bent to reach for a shirt when strong hands slid around her waist, spanning the width of her growing belly. She smiled and glanced up, meeting Daryl's eyes in the mirror. His eyes were hot on her, filled with the love and affection that she saw in them every day.

"How you feelin'?" His voice was a deep rumble in her ear and she shivered.

"Good."

"No nausea?"

"Nope." She smiled at him to prove her point. She hadn't had any nausea in a few weeks now and she was ever grateful for it.

"He moving around in there?" Daryl's hands shifted over her bare belly, searching for their son who rarely seemed to move when his Daddy wanted him to.

Carol shook her head, wishing that he was since Daryl took such a delight in feeling her belly shift under his hands. Daryl frowned, but the emotion didn't last long before his hands slid up to cup her breasts that were threatening to spill out of her bra. This was the second bra she had purchased since she had found out she was pregnant and she feared she would soon need another. Her boobs had grown nearly two cup sizes much to Daryl's delight.

Shortly after the episode with Shane, Carol had found out that she was pregnant, explaining the dizziness and nausea that she had been experiencing lately. It hadn't been stress at all, but a tiny Dixon growing inside of her belly. Two weeks ago she had gone to an ultrasound that had shown them they were having a little boy. Carol had cried tears of happiness that she couldn't contain and Daryl hadn't been able to wait to show off the pics. He and Merle had gone out to celebrate that night at her insistence. Daryl hadn't wanted to leave her, but Carol knew he needed some bonding time with his brother so she had practically shoved him out of the house.

She had called Andrea over to stay with her while the men were out. Andrea had been seeing Merle pretty regularly for a couple of months now and they seemed to be really good for one another. Carol was delighted to have another woman to talk to and Andrea slipped easily into their life almost as if she was meant to be there all along.

Finding out that she was pregnant had gone a long way to helping her put the whole ordeal with Shane behind her. Daryl was attentive and eager to help whenever needed. He was perfect and their love grew stronger every day. He had taken a step back from the bounty hunting business and had begun helping out down at the station with Rick. He and Rick had become good friends and Carol was grateful for their friendship.

"Daryl," Carol let out a half-moan as his hands wandered over the cups of her bra, skirting across the skin that wasn't covered. Her breasts were really sensitive lately and Daryl seemed obsessed with it.

"They're bigger," Daryl's voice was filled with amazement and he squeezed them for emphasis. Carol whimpered as he tugged the cups of her bra down so that her breasts were revealed to him. She rested her head backwards on his shoulder as his fingers stroked across her nipples, teasing them into hard peaks. "Bet I can make you come just like this...what do you think?" His voice was husky and filled with desire as his lips brushed across the skin of her neck.

She was completely at his mercy as he continued to stroke her, knowing that he would be able to do just that. It didn't take much for her to come apart at the seams these days. Her hormones were all over the place lately.

His fingers pulled at her nipples, rolling them back and forth gently. "Watch me," he whispered into her ear, their eyes meeting in the reflection of the mirror. Carol couldn't look away as he continued to tease and stroke her breasts, the wetness between her thighs increasing. She pressed herself back into him, feeling his hardness against her back. His nose brushed against the shell of her ear and he caught the skin between his teeth, nibbling on it lightly. Her lips parted and her skin grew flushed as she inched closer to her orgasm.

"Daryl." Carol's voice broke and she bit her lip hard. He scraped his teeth across her neck as he tugged both nipples at the same time. Carol arched into his touch and cried out as she came apart in his hands, her body riding out the waves of desire that coursed through her. Daryl let go of her and spun her around, claiming her lips with his own, swallowing her cries of pleasure. He kissed her until her body began to calm, her legs regaining some of their stability.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear.

She leaned her forehead against his and smiled softly, "I love you too."

He kissed her once more and helped her fix her bra and slide on a t-shirt that hugged her belly. He smiled adoringly at her as his eyes skirted her pregnant belly. Shaking her head at him, she caressed his cheek with the palm of her hand.

"I'm going to go make myself a snack. Want something?"

He shook his head, "I'm okay. Want me to fix it for you?"

She shook her head, "I've got it. I can still move around you know," she teased.

His eyes twinkled as they met hers, "I know. I just like doin' stuff for you."

She kissed his lips lovingly, "I know and I love you all the more for it, but I've got it. Be right back."

She hummed under her breath as she headed to the kitchen, her craving for tortilla chips and salsa in full force. She grabbed the chips out of the cabinet and reached for the salsa, her eyes falling on the pile of mail that Daryl must have brought inside and tossed onto the counter. He had a bad habit of bringing it inside and leaving it there, forgetting to sift through it to see if there was anything important.

She grabbed up the stack of paper and moved to the table to sit. There were a couple of bills and something addressed to Merle that she put to the side to pass along to him. Merle had been staying with Andrea more often than not and Carol was pretty sure they would soon be living with each other. They practically were already anyway. Ash brushed up against her leg and Carol leaned over to pick up the cat, cuddling the furry creature to her chest for a moment.

"Nothing here but junk and bills Ash. No wonder Daryl never looks through it," she teased the cat.

She started to slide the pile to the side when a smaller envelope caught her eye and she tugged it out of the pile. It was addressed to her and Carol felt her blood run cold as she stared at it. Ash meowed and jumped out of her arms, running off to do whatever it was that she did all day while Carol continued to sit there with a perplexed expression.

The return address was from a mental health facility in Florida, the very one that Shane had been sentenced to. She briefly thought about just tossing the letter into the trash, but her curiosity got the better of her and she opened it with shaky hands. Unfolding the piece of paper, she felt her heart stop as the short and simple message stared back at her:

_**"Doing well in here and making good progress. Be seeing you real soon baby."  
** _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...
> 
> So, there we have it. I know, I know, it ended on a cliffhanger, but this was how I intended to end it the whole time. I doubt that there will be a part two, but I suppose we can't ever rule out the possibility if the muse strikes. I hope the epilogue was sufficient and that you all enjoyed the story. I really liked writing this one and I'm sorry that updates took so long here in the end. I've had a LOT going on lately and then the holidays on top of everything else. I'd like to thank you all once more for reading and reviewing this story. It means so much to me to read your thoughts. Thank you so much!
> 
> XOXO! EP


End file.
